In Her Eyes
by daydreamer4
Summary: Probably one of a million postseason 5 finale fics. This is my take on what I'd like to see next. Complete.
1. An Answer

"I asked you to marry me," she responded a bit hoarsely. She was fidgeting with the ends of her pink sweater. She was clearly nervous, but there was a look in her eyes that couldn't be explained. Was it fear? Was it determination?

Luke swallowed hard and stood for a moment, stunned. He tried to figure out the look in her eyes. What he found in there was sincerity. She wasn't kidding. This wasn't an attempt to get him to stop his rant. He'd once tried the same ploy on her all those years ago. He shoved his hands deep into his back pockets somehow hoping he might pull out a coherent thought from his jumbled brain.

"Luke," she said again standing and approaching him. He took a step backwards as she encroached on his space. "Are you okay? Did you hear me?"

She made her way to him and placed her hands on his forearm. The feel of her hand on his arm made the moment real and he suddenly realized he wasn't dreaming.

"Yeah, yeah I heard you," he said turning his body from her slightly. "Are you serious about this?"

She forced him to stop and look at her. She took his face in her hand and looked him in the eyes. "I've never been more serious about anything."

"Why?" he replied.

"Why what?" she asked pulling her hand back.

"Why do you want to get married?" he asked her.

She pulled away from him and walked back over to the table. "You know it's a good thing I didn't have any childish fantasies about what your reaction might be to my proposal," she tried to joke. "I might be disappointed right now."

"I'm sorry I just don't know how to respond to all this," Luke said. She had turned her back to him and he let out a heavy sigh. "Lorelai," he said walking over to her and placing his strong hands on her petite shoulders. "I just need to know where all this is coming from. One minute you're telling me Rory dropped out of college and the next you're asking me to marry you. That's quite a mental jump even for you."

"I know," she said feeling the warmth of his body so close to hers. She didn't really feel like talking anymore. She just wanted to wrap herself up in the warmth of his body and his voice. She wanted him to tell her that everything would be okay, but she that was just wishful thinking. She had thrown the gauntlet and now she had to explain herself. She scratched her forehead and thought for a moment before turning toward him.

"Once again everything in my life seemed to be falling apart," she said. "First Rory got arrested and then she dropped out of Yale. One minute I thought my parents were on my side and then they completely bailed on me. But then I came here. I came to see you and you're just the same Luke. No matter what happens you're always there to build me back up. You're the one person who always believes in me. You're the one person I can always count on and I suddenly realized that I don't want to live without that."

He rubbed her shoulders gently as she spoke and she looked away shyly toward the end of her speech. It was almost as if she was self-conscious about her honesty.

"I don't know what to say," Luke replied honestly.

"How about saying yes?" Lorelai said in a small voice. She took his hands in her own and leaned closer to him. She pressed her forehead gently to his. "You just said I can talk anyone into anything," she said softly in a playful tone.

"You have no idea how tempting an offer this is," he admitted. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment but eventually he pulled his head back and took a step backwards. Their hands were still intertwined, but he made sure to put a bit of space between them. "But Lorelai, we have so much that we need to think about, to talk about, before we decide anything. I've already rushed into one marriage and look how that ended. I don't want that for us."

"Neither do I," she scoffed. "This is different though. We're not rushing into anything."

She did her best to pout him into submission, but he resisted. Instead he pulled away from her and sat down at the table. He gestured to the chair she had once occupied and she grudging sat down as she gave him a patented Lorelai Gilmore eye roll.

"I think we are rushing," he said. "There's so much we haven't talked about. A few days ago you were still mulling over selling the inn."

"I wasn't seriously mulling," she protested. "I told you I was just half-mulling."

"You took a meeting with that Armstrong guy without even telling me about it," Luke replied as he leaned forward on the table.

"You told me to meet with him," Lorelai insisted.

"Telling you to meet with someone and actually meeting are two different things," he said. "And why didn't you tell me about it?"

"There was nothing to tell," she said feebly.

"Nothing to tell?" he said getting more animated. "Please, the guy talked about taking over the inn and having you travel all over the world. He sent you an arsenal of travel amenities for Pete's sake."

"Luke why are you so upset about this?" she asked surprised by his fervor. "I'm not going anywhere."

"But you thought about it," he shot back. "You thought about it and you didn't even tell me. You were thinking about making a life-altering decision and you didn't even tell me."

"Well what about you?" she said turning on him. "You were going to move without telling me."

"What?" Luke said suddenly. He felt his stomach drop to the floor and he felt slightly ill.

"See any columns you like on the Twickham House, Luke?" she asked him haughtily.

"How do you know about that?" he asked. He thought about it for a moment and then added, "I am gonna kill Taylor."

"It wasn't Taylor. It was Miss Patty, Babette, Kirk, Andrew, Gypsy, need I go on? Did you forget where we live?" she replied. Luke shook his head. "Although if you were trying to keep it a secret you shouldn't been playing Hutch to Taylor's Starsky for the last few weeks."

"So you know about the house," he said. "At least the move I was planning was a block away, not a continent."

"Was planning?" she said. "You're not buying the house now?"

"No, I stopped the paperwork," he said moping slightly.

"Why?" she pressed him.

"Because you told me you were mulling," he said exasperated.

"What does that have to do with the house?" she asked him oblivious.

He simply looked up and stared at her. Suddenly it dawned on her that wasn't just buying the house for himself. He was buying the house for them.

"The kids," she whispered under her breath.

"What was that?" Luke asked.

"When I said I was thinking about the job offer you said 'what about the kids,'" she said stunned. "You meant_ our_ kids."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Luke dismissed her as he leaned back in his chair.

"You were buying the house for us?" she asked him gently.

"I was thinking about it," he said trying to evade her question.

"Wow," she said. They sat in silence for a moment, neither moving, neither saying anything. "We haven't told each other anything."

"We should definitely work on talking more," he said. And then the meaning of what he'd just said washed over him and he added, "I never thought I'd ever tell you that."

"I think you're right. I don't think we're ready for marriage. We were both so busy making plans without each other," she replied.

Lorelai stood up and smoothed out her dress. She started to pick her purse up off the table. Luke saw her movement and he quickly stood up and rushed over to the door. He positioned himself in between Lorelai and the door.

"You can't go yet," he told her. "We need to talk about this."

"What's there to say? You were right," she said defeated. "I was rushing into this. We don't even tell each other basic information. How did I think we could get married?"

She tried to push past him, but being bigger and stronger, he was easily able to detain her.

"Please Luke I want to get home. It's late and I just can't deal with anything else today," she pleaded.

He had her by the arms and he bent down a little to look her in the eyes. "I don't want you to leave," he said. "We don't have to talk about this anymore. You've got enough to deal with right now with Rory and your parents. Just stay and we can figure out what we're gonna do about Rory."

"I appreciate the offer," she sighed. "But I thought the kidnapping plan, though a bit eccentric, might prove to be one of the better plans. So see there's nothing to discuss."

Luke could tell by the look on her face that this discussion was over. She was going home and nothing he said could change that. He let go of her and stepped to the side to let her pass through the doorway.

"Are we okay?" he asked.

"We're great," she replied. "I think we might have to work on our communication skills, but we're good."

"I'm here for you if you need me," he told her.

"I know," she smiled sadly. "You always are."

"You're sure you won't stay?" he asked her one last time.

"Positive, but thanks for the offer," she said. She leaned in gave him a quick peck on the lips. Their lips touched only briefly, but it was just long enough to make them both ache.

Lorelai swung her purse over her shoulder and opened the door. She turned to leave when Luke impulsively reached out and grabbed her hand. He kissed her passionately and her back pressed into the doorway. It was reminiscent of their first kiss. Luke's arms were wrapped around her waist and he pulled her to him. She didn't hesitate and it seemed for a moment as if their bodies were made to mold as one.

Luke pulled away and looked her square in the eye. "I love you," he said huskily. "I don't think I've ever told you that, but I do, and I have for a very long time."

She was lost in the moment and stayed silent until finally she replied, "I love you too."

"Good to know," he smiled at her.

"I kind of like this new communication thing we have here," she whispered as she bit her bottom lip.

"Me too," he smiled.

He let go of her waist and she stood staring at him for a minute. It was as if she had to figure out if what happened was real. She thought she must have reacted to Luke as he had when she proposed to him. In truth she felt almost dizzy and she needed a moment to collect herself. She finally regained her composure and her equilibrium and set off into the evening air.

Luke watched her as she walked away still disbelieving what had happened that night. Her proposal had taken him by surprise and it took everything in him to refuse her. Although marrying Lorelai was a thought that had floated through his mind for weeks, she had some major family issues to deal with and Luke knew that being engaged wouldn't help matters. He felt badly about turning her down, but he'd felt better knowing he'd told her exactly how he felt. His heart felt lighter when she said she loved him in return. He waited until the pink speck turned down Peach Street and he flicked off the diner lights.

TBC


	2. A Room with a View

Chapter 2  
"A Room with a View"

_Author's Note:_ This is my first attempt at writing Logan so I hope I do him justice. For the next few weeks there may only be one update a week, but I hope it will be enough to hold your interest. Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

Rory had unpacked most of her belongings by the time Emily stopped by the pool house to call her for dinner. She had seen her mother come and go from the Gilmore mansion and as much as she wished things were different, she knew that this was how it had to be, at least for the time being. 

"Rory," Emily called as she let herself into the pool house. "Rory, dinner's ready. Lucretia finally managed to figure out how to work the oven and I think the result might just be edible."

Emily made her way over to the couch where Rory was curled up with a book. She noticed that her granddaughter looked unusually sullen and she wondered if she'd seen Lorelai leave the house abruptly. Rory had scarcely looked up at her grandmother and Emily took the opportunity to perch herself on the edge of the sofa.

"Are you hungry?" she asked lightly.

"Not really," Rory said putting her book down.

"You really should have something to eat," Emily insisted. "It's been a busy day for you."

"Was Mom mad?" Rory asked setting her feet on the floor.

"She was less than thrilled about the decision your Grandfather and I made," Emily informed her. "It's sudden. She just needs some time to think about things."

Rory nodded and looked at the floor for a moment. Emily couldn't tell what she might be thinking.

"Have you given any thought to what you might like do this summer?" Emily asked.

"A little," Rory replied. "All of this is little new. I'm not even really sure what I'm supposed to be doing."

"Well take your time," Emily smiled. "There's no rush."

Emily could tell that Rory wasn't in the mood to discuss much of anything, let alone the plans she had for the future. She stood up quickly and smoothed out her shirt.

"Are you sure you won't come have something to eat?" Emily asked her again.

"I'm sure," she replied. Emily turned to leave and Rory added, "Grandma, I really appreciate your help. You and Grandpa have been great."

"You know we'd do just about anything to see you happy Rory," Emily replied. "You can talk to us any time."

"Thanks," Rory smiled grimly. "Would you mind if I stopped by for breakfast tomorrow? I haven't had time to stock the kitchen and Grandpa's leftover Oat Flakes don't sound all that appetizing."

"We'd love to have to you," Emily smiled. "You try to get a good night's sleep and your Grandfather and I will see you tomorrow."

"Thanks Grandma," Rory said as Emily left the pool house.

Rory watched Emily as she made her way through the lighted courtyard and into the Gilmore mansion. The tall stone structure seemed formidable and a little jarring in the evening light. She sighed and picked up her cell phone. She felt that she needed a friendly voice to talk to and since her mother wasn't an option she dialed another familiar number.

"Hey," the voice answered with a smile.

"Hey," she said biting her lower lip. "How are you?"

"I've been better," was the reply. "How about you?"

"I don't think there are words to describe the last few days," she said. "What are doing right now?"

"Picking the lock to my shackles," he joked. "I'm under house arrested now that I'm home. Of course I've got the lawyers from the ACLU working on getting me out pretty soon."

"I see," Rory tried to laugh. "It sounds like it'll be quite a negotiation."

"Yeah, I'll get through it," he said, his tone suddenly sounding a bit more concerned. "Are you okay Ace?"

"That's debatable," she replied. She was unsure what to say. She knew she wanted to tell him everything so she finally added, "I moved out of my house."

"What?" he replied shocked.

"I decided that your Dad was right," she said simply. "I've thought about it and maybe I'm not a journalist. I think, even though it was a little harsh, he gave me good advice."

"Ace, you can't listen to him," Logan protested. "My Dad doesn't know anything about you. You're going to let a man who's spent all of two weeks with you dictate your future?"

"No," she sighed. "But he did have a point. He helped me put things in perspective and I've decided that I need to take a step back. I need to think about what I want to do with my life."

"So you moved out of your house?" Logan said. "Where is your new bachelorette pad anyway?

"I moved into my Grandparent's pool house for the time being," Rory informed him.

"Ah, Casa Gilmore," Logan said knowingly. "Well at least you're closer to me this summer Ace. We don't have to make the commute between Hartford and Frog's Hollow for three months until we're back at Yale."

"It's Stars Hollow," Rory laughed. "And I'm not going back to Yale in the fall."

"Yeah right," he dismissed her. "You practically bleed the Yale Daily News. You'll take the summer and figure things out and then in the fall things will be better. But the first thing we have to do is get you away from my father. That man could corrupt Mother Teresa's faith."

"Logan, I'm not going back to Yale," Rory insisted. "I've made up my mind already. I just need some time to figure things out."

"Rory," he said seriously, "Mitchum Huntzberger isn't the Messiah of journalism."

"I know," she replied irritated. "This isn't completely about what your dad said. I've been thinking about this for a while."

"You're sure it isn't all about my dad said?" he asked.

"I'm positive," she replied.

"Okay," he conceded. "Then I, of all people, can get behind a Yale sabbatical. Although I suggest that we stay as far away from open water as possible Ace. Between the two of us, your sabbatical could spell disaster for us and Coast Guard."

She grinned knowing thinking of their experience on the "borrowed" yacht. Although not one of her finer moments, she could still recall the feeling of adrenaline pulsing through her veins as they set off from the dock.

"Avoid open bodies of water, got it," Rory smiled.

"So, now that you've got all this free time, when do we start our summer of fun?" he asked playfully.

"As soon as you pick the lock on that last shackle," she smiled.

"Sounds good," he replied. "I anticipate a clean break by noon tomorrow. The warden is off to New York for the week and Mom is a sucker for my smiling face. I figure I'll be back in my apartment by tomorrow night at the latest."

"Well then it sounds like I'll see you some time tomorrow," she said.

"That sounds like a plan," he grinned. "Have a good nice Ace."

"You too," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Rory clicked her phone shut and set it on the table. She smiled and felt much better than she had. It was almost as if the day had been an unpleasant dream that she didn't wish to recall. She picked up her book and started to forget of her troubles for the moment.

* * *

The next morning Rory made her way across the yard and into the Gilmore dining room a bit after 10 a.m. She had fully expected to find the house empty, but instead she found Emily reading the newspaper at the table. 

"Rory," she looked up and smiled. "I'm glad you made it over here."

"Sorry I'm so late," Rory replied taking a seat. "I didn't realize how tired I was."

"No apology necessary," Emily said. "I figured you'd need a little more rest given the day you had yesterday. I'll have Lucretia whip you something up."

Emily stood up and gave Rory's shoulder a small squeeze as she made her way into the kitchen. Rory glanced over at the paper and noticed that Emily was reading the crime reports. Her stomach suddenly jumped to her throat and she felt slightly sick. She reached over and grabbed the section of the paper that detailed the police reports of the week. She quickly scanned the page and found what she was looking for.

"_Carrington Smythe reported his 2004 yacht stolen around 9 p.m. on Friday, May 13. Smythe reported that his yacht was taken out of port by a pair of strangers. The marine patrol unit tracked down the yacht and returned it safely to the harbor. A pair of local students was held for questioning in the incident,"_ Rory read.

Emily reentered the dining room and she noticed Rory reading the paper. "Mitchum certainly did a nice job of keeping your names out of the paper," Emily commented as she took her seat.

"Yeah," Rory practically whispered. She suddenly felt very ashamed and she could feel the red creep into her cheeks. At the time stealing the yacht seemed rebellious and life-affirming. Now it felt much different.

"I'm sure that he'll have this taken care of quickly," Emily continued. "Your Grandfather had a chat with him last night and he doesn't believe you'll have to worry about this for much longer."

"Oh, good," Rory tried to be upbeat. "Grandma, I'm so sorry about all this. I can't even imagine what you must think of me."

"Enough of that," Emily replied. "Everyone makes mistakes. As long as you don't make a habit of it, which I'm sure you won't, everything will be fine. How did you sleep last night? Was the bed alright?"

"I slept well enough I guess," Rory said as Lucretia came in and quickly dropped a plate off for Rory. "The pool house is great. I can't thank you and Grandpa enough."

"We're here to help you get on your feet again," Emily smiled as she sipped her coffee. "Have you given any thought to what you'd like to do this summer?"

"Not really," Rory replied. "I think I might take a little time to figure it out if you don't mind."

"Alright," Emily replied a bit skeptically. She started to gather up the paper and she added, "Your Grandfather mentioned that there might be an opening at his firm this summer if you're interested."

"At the insurance agency?" Rory asked surprised.

"Don't look so shocked," Emily replied. "They're always looking to hire talented, young people. It's a very cut-throat business."

Rory nodded as she shoveled a bite of food into her mouth. She was looking to buy a little time. She knew that although she didn't have a direction at the moment, that insurance wasn't something she was looking to get involved in.

"I'll think about it," she smiled diplomatically.

"Okay," Emily replied excitedly. "Just don't wait too long. Missy Hartwell's horrible grandson is home for the summer as well. I wouldn't want you to miss out on an opportunity."

"I won't," Rory replied.

Emily pushed her chair back from the table and picked up the paper. "Well I have to get to a DAR meeting. If you need anything tell Lucretia. I should be home a bit later in the afternoon."

"Okay," Rory said. "Thanks again Grandma."

"You're welcome," Emily smiled. She gave Rory a quick kiss on the head as she left the room.

As Emily gathered her things she glanced at her watch. It was almost eleven in the afternoon. _'Rory certainly gets a late start,'_ Emily thought to herself. She had an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach as she left the house. She wasn't sure what it was, but she didn't like it. Emily wondered if it might have something to do with Rory, but she quickly pushed that thought out of her mind. She thought it was more likely the conflicted feelings she had over the situation with Lorelai.

Emily knew that her daughter had threatened to cut her out of her life before and it never amounted to anything more than a few months of silence or strained relations. She knew that with Rory under the Gilmore roof Lorelai would never actually cut off all contact with them, but something was different this time. Maybe it was the look in her eyes. They were cold, almost dead inside. The vibrant blue had faded and Emily almost thought she looked defeated, unwilling or unable to fight back. Lorelai had left in such a state that Emily didn't get a good look at her, but she didn't think she'd ever seen Lorelai that upset, but more than that, it almost seemed as if she was let down. Emily couldn't tell who'd let her down more, her and Richard or Rory.

Emily got into her car and pulled out of the driveway. She was half-way to her DAR meeting when she decided to call her daughter. She quickly set up her hands-free cell phone while she was sitting at a stop light and dialed Lorelai's number. It rang several times before going to voicemail and Emily deduced that her daughter was once again screening her calls so she wouldn't have to talk to her.

"Lorelai," Emily said sternly. "I know you're screening this message, but you're going to have to talk to me eventually. I know you don't want to hear this, but I think that Rory living with us is the best thing for everyone. She needs time to sort things out. I know you're upset with her, but this is what's best for time being. You can be assured that Rory is in a safe place. Rory can take some time to figure out what she wants to do with her life and your father and I can help her. We can put her on the right path." Emily hesitated for a moment and just as she was about to speak again the voicemail cut her off.

"To send message press one," the automated voice said. Emily sighed heavily and pressed the number one before hanging up and redialing again. The phone rang repeated until the voicemail clicked on again.

"These automated machines are ridiculous," Emily rambled. "They don't give you a moment to think. What I wanted to say is that I think it would be beneficial for you to come to Friday night dinner. You can see Rory and we can all sit down and discuss how we should proceed. If I don't hear from you I'll assume you're coming to dinner on Friday. See you then."

Emily hung up the phone and smiled to herself. _'That ought to get Lorelai to call me,'_ she thought to herself. She knew Lorelai wouldn't want to come to dinner and Emily made sure that she'd have to call with an excuse if she decided not to attend. She pulled into the parking lot and smiled to herself as she picked up her purse and walked into the building. One way or another, things were going to work out for everyone no matter what Emily had to do about it.

TBC


	3. Knights and White Tablecloths

_Chapter 3  
"Knights and White Tablecloths"_

Author's Note: Sorry this update took a little longer than usual. Hopefully it is worth the wait. Please read and review.

* * *

Lorelai sighed and waited a moment before she glanced at her chirping phone. Two missed calls from her mother and two voicemails awaited her. She wasn't in the mood to discuss much of anything with Emily and she dismissed her mother's insistent messages. She wandered into the kitchen wishing that Sookie was at work, but then she remembered that it would months before Sookie would be back. She walked over to the coffee pot and noted its lack of warm, black liquid. She sighed again and walked back to the desk where she found Michel.

"Michel," she said. "I've got to run an errand. I'll be back in a little while."

"Of course," Michel smiled a little too sweetly. "We're booked to capacity after that magazine article, we're down a head chef and you have errands to run. Not to mention I have been fielding calls all morning from Mike Armstrong and I've had to make up excuse after excuse for your unavailability."

"Well now you don't have to make up an excuse because I really won't be here," Lorelai replied.

"Lorelai are you selling the Dragonfly or not?" Michel asked a bit more irritated than usual. "I can't live with this stress."

"Michel," Lorelai said. "I can't really focus on this right now okay? I've got a lot of other things to deal with."

Lorelai grabbed her purse from underneath the counter and slung it under her arm as she left the Dragonfly more agitated than she was before she decided she needed a break. She tried to clear her head as she made her way to the Jeep parked out back. She tossed her purse on the passenger's seat and pulled her cell phone out of her purse again. She checked, in vain, to see if Rory had called and left her a message. She was disappointed to find that her call log was blank, save Emily's prior calls.

Lorelai shifted gears and made the drive she had come to know so well. She rounded the corner and parked in front of Luke's. She made her way into the diner and scanned the room for him. She saw Lane delivering meals and Caesar busy behind the counter. Her shoulders slumped when she saw that Luke wasn't readily available. She wondered if he'd made a run to Doose's and she'd just missed him. She was about to turn and head back to the inn when Luke emerged from the kitchen. He was carrying a handful of plates and he quickly delivered them. He was busy and he hadn't actually noticed Lorelai in the diner yet.

Lorelai observed him as he worked. He came off as the gruff, anti-social diner owner, but she saw the true Luke Danes. She saw the man who carefully garnished plates with an orange wedge and tried to make a senior citizen smile by being more polite than usual. Luke turned and saw Lorelai standing in the doorway of the diner and his face quickly changed from relaxed to concerned. He made his way over to her when he saw the look in her eyes. Her eyes told the world that she was in control, but Luke knew the look too well. He could see that her eyes were hiding the truth and the truth was that she was about to fall apart.

Luke finally made his way to her and she wordlessly grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. She said nothing as Luke immediately pulled her toward the stairs. They walked up the steps in silence until they reached the door to Luke's apartment. He pushed open the door and she closed it quietly behind them. As soon as the door latched she threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. He held her close and waited for her to speak. He knew her well enough to know that she would tell him what was wrong in her own time.

"I needed to see you," she said simply.

"You can see me anytime you need," he replied rubbing her back lightly as he continued to hold her.

"I'm sorry about last night," she said. "I was so confused and I laid a lot on you. You probably weren't expecting any of it. I just feel like I've been playing Mariah Carey's part in Glitter for the last week, without the horrible songs and bad acting, but with the same horrific plot that makes you think, 'huh, why am I subjecting myself to this kind of torture?'"

Luke looked at her for a moment and although he could usually follow Lorelai's drawn out analogies on pop culture, this one threw him a bit. Instead of responding he just rubbed her back gently.

"You've had a lot to deal with," Luke replied. He felt compelled to clarify his feeling on the matter and he added, "I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate the thought you had last night. I just think that now probably isn't the best time to talk about it."

"You're right," Lorelai nodded. She walked around the kitchen table and paced back and forth a little. "Luke, I have no idea what to do next. Rory has shut me out. She's living with the enemy. My parents are completely on her side in all this now. She's got that face you know? She looks at you with those baby blues and you can't help but say yes to anything she says."

"She's not the only one. I'm familiar with the power of the baby blues myself," Luke said with a small grin. "What can I do to help? Have you called Yale?"

"I don't think I have any say at Yale," Lorelai explained. "My parents are paying for it and Rory's the actual student. That pretty much takes me out of the equation."

"Okay, how about if you talk to Rory about this," Luke suggested. "You haven't spoken since she decided to drop out right? What if you called her and asked her to talk this through with you. She obviously had to have a convincing argument to get past Emily and Richard."

"I doubt it," Lorelai scoffed. "My parents deny her nothing. Not to mention I don't think she's too willing to talk to me. I saw her last night unpacking in the pool house. She looked right at me and went right back to what she was doing."

"That doesn't sound like Rory," Luke said surprised.

"No kidding," Lorelai said. "If we lived closer to Area 51 I'd automatically assume that it wasn't Rory. I'd think it was Pod Rory sent from some planet far away, but let me tell you I don't have that kind of luck lately."

"Okay, so what are you thinking," Luke asked as he tried to gather his thoughts.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I have absolutely no clue what to do next."

Luke looked at Lorelai and saw how much pain she was in. Rory was her best friend, the person she always thought she could count on and now she was gone. He didn't know what to do to make it better. All he knew was that he wanted to take the pain away and it didn't matter what he had to do.

"I think we should go to dinner," he said finally.

"What? It's 11 a.m.," Lorelai said.

Luke shook his head and pulled out a chair at the kitchen table. "No, I mean I think you and I should go to Friday night dinner at your parents. They're still having Friday night dinner right?"

"Okay first I had Pod Rory to deal with, now, apparently, I have Pod Luke," Lorelai said taking a seat across from him.

"I know it's crazy idea coming from me," he said. "It's not the best idea I've ever had, but obviously you need to talk to Rory, face to face. I can go to dinner with you and then it's three on two. I like those odds a lot better than three on one."

"You forgetting one key fact Luke," Lorelai said. "I have no intention of seeing my parents again. I know I've said it before, but this is the last straw. They're taking my daughter away from me. I knew one day it would come. I knew asking for money for Chilton and getting wrapped up in their lives would only hurt me, but it wasn't so bad, not for a while anyway. But this, on top of what my mother tried to do to us…I can't go back there," she explained.

"I know you're mad and you have every right to be," he said. "But don't they always tell you to keep your enemies closer? If we show up then at least you can talk to Rory. Maybe you can make her see what she's missing by being away from Stars Hollow."

"You are a devious man Luke Danes," Lorelai said reaching out and taking his hand across the table. "And I gotta tell ya I love it. Of course this entire plan hinges on me being able to pretend that I don't despise my parents and that Rory will talk to me."

"I think Rory will definitely talk to you," Luke replied giving her hand a squeeze. "As for your parents, we can suffer through it together."

Lorelai looked at Luke and realized how serious he was about this. She thought for a moment about her proposal the previous evening and she smiled. She wasn't wrong about her feelings. She loved Luke and he was one person, even above Rory at this point, that she could count on for anything. She wondered why it took her so long to see it.

"Okay, deal," she said. "But the minute Boris and Natasha start in on you, we're out of there."

"Only if you've talked to Rory first," Luke insisted. "I can hold my own now that I know what I'm in for. Although this time, any help you'd like to give me will be much appreciated."

"I love you for doing for this," she said looking deeply into his eyes.

"You're welcome," she grinned sheepishly. He had told Lorelai he loved her and he meant it, but talking about emotions still made him a little uncomfortable.

"I guess that means I should call my mother to tell her to bust out the white tablecloths," Lorelai sighed.

"I guess so," Luke affirmed.

"Okay," she said pulling her cell phone out of her purse. "Here goes nothing."

Lorelai hesitated as she dialed her mother's number. She felt that in some way calling her was admitting defeat. It was like saying that she was wrong and her parents were right. She heard the phone ring several times before her mother picked up the phone.

"Hello," Emily said.

"Hi, Mom," Lorelai wavered.

"Lorelai," Emily said surprised. "Hello."

"Hi," Lorelai repeated unsure of how to approach the subject of dinner.

"I wasn't sure you'd call me back," Emily admitted.

"Well I always could surprise you mom," Lorelai said forcing a chuckle.

"I suppose you're right about that," Emily replied. "Lorelai, I know you're upset with us right now, but I think—"

"I know Mom," Lorelai interrupted her. "I heard both of your messages. I know you and Dad think this is the best thing for everyone and being Rory's mother I know I have no say in the matter," she said a little too sarcastically. "I'm calling about Friday night dinner."

"Dinner?" Emily said shocked again.

"Yes," Lorelai sighed as she worked up her courage. "I assume I'm still expected for Friday night dinner?"

"You know you're always welcome Lorelai," Emily said.

"Good, because I'm coming," Lorelai said. "I wanted to tell you to set an extra place because I'm bringing Luke."

Luke watched Lorelai's face as she spoke to her mother. He knew that this phone call was killing her, but he was still proud of her.

"Luke is coming?" Emily asked skeptically.

"Yes," Lorelai said simply.

"May I ask why," Emily responded.

"I thought it would be nice to have the whole family together and Luke hasn't seen Rory in a while," Lorelai said. "Since she's shacking up at your place and I can't bring Rory to Stars Hollow I figured I'd bring a piece of Stars Hollow to Rory."

"Well what an interesting idea," Emily said unenthusiastically.

"I thought so too," Lorelai said quickly recognizing that Emily was trying to formulate en excuse for why Luke shouldn't attend dinner. "Well I have to get back to work Mom. Luke and I will see you at seven on Friday. Bye."

"Lorelai," Emily started to say, but her feeble response was met with silence as Lorelai clicked her phone shut.

"She's thrilled that we're coming," Lorelai told Luke.

"Why do I feel like that's not entirely true," Luke said.

"Because it's not, but she knows you're coming and she didn't fight me on it," Lorelai offered.

"Only because you hung up before she could come up with something," Luke replied suddenly wary of what he had gotten himself in to.

"It'll be fine," Lorelai tried to reassure him as well as herself at the same time. "We'll get a chance to talk to Rory and hopefully talk some sense into her." Lorelai could tell that Luke was nervous about the dinner and that made her even more grateful for his offer to go with her. In so many ways Luke was like her knight in shining armor. Going to Friday night dinner with her was like throwing himself on the sword for her. "I also promise to make this up to."

"You don't have to make this up to me," Luke said.

"Really? Because I have this Swedish milkmaid's costume at home that's a tad too small that might make Friday night more worth your while." She grinned at him devilishly.

"Well if it would make you feel about all this then who am I to argue?" Luke grinned.

Lorelai got up from the table and walked over to where Luke was sitting. She leaned down and gave him a hug from behind pressing her cheek to his. "In case I haven't told you," she said softly. "You're the most amazing boyfriend in the world."

"It's not hard when you're my girlfriend," he replied.

"It's the baby blues sweetie," she said as she looked at him and batted her eyelashes.

Luke just smiled at her for a moment. It was obvious she was leaving and he stood up to walk downstairs with her.

"So, let me just get this straight," Lorelai said as they walked. "So far the weapons I have in my arsenal include the black dress and the baby blues," she said.

"Don't forget the French maid's uniform," he teased her.

"Ah so you did enjoy that," Lorelai said. "Okay, French maid's costume, black dress and baby blue eyes—check."

They made their ways down the stairs into the diner. "You know I've just realized you're absolutely powerless against me. I have an assortment of weapons to help me and what do you have?"

"Besides my charm and swarthy good looks?" he replied taking his position behind the counter as Lorelai leaned on the other side.

"Swarthy?" she replied and cocked one eyebrow. "I suppose swarthy _could_ apply. Go on."

"Well aside from that," he continued. "I have the coffee and the burgers and the fries and the pie and doughnuts."

"You do have a point," she said. "Speaking of coffee, that's actually why I came."

"To go?" Luke asked grabbing a cup.

"Please," she said.

He filled up the cup and handed it to her. She sipped the coffee and smiled. "That's the good stuff," she said. "Okay, I have to get back to the inn."

"I'll see you later?" he said.

"I'd say that's a definite possibility," she said. "I'll call you when I get home later."

"Okay," he said. Luke leaned in before she walked away from the counter and added, "Everything is going to work out."

"I hope so," she replied. She took another sip of coffee and walked out of the diner. Luke watched her go and he worried. He'd never seen Lorelai look do defeated. Granted, her mood had improved from the time she came to the diner than from when she left. He got back to whipping the counter and hoped that going to dinner on Friday would be enough to help Lorelai and Rory put this mess behind them.

TBC


	4. Plan B

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews. I'm excited about the direction this story is headed and I'm glad that you're enjoying it.

_Chapter 3  
"Plan B"_

_

* * *

_Emily spent the next morning trying work, but there was a weight on her shoulders. Lorelai certainly knew her well. She wasn't quite fast enough to dissuade her from bringing Luke to dinner. If she'd only gotten another word in she might have been able to avoid having the diner man over to dinner again. It wasn't that Emily didn't think he was a nice man. He was perfectly amiable and more social than she'd thought. She knew he didn't like her, but she figured that had more to do with her behavior at the wedding than anything else. Luke just wasn't the man that Lorelai deserved. He was divorced and he owned a diner. Emily recalled how she had to wipe down her chair when she met Lorelai for lunch once. It smelled of grease and he wore flannel. Flannel was acceptable attire for lumberjacks or long underwear, but it was not suitable attire for her daughter's boyfriend. 

Emily stomped through the house and into the kitchen. "Lucretia," she bellowed. She looked around the kitchen and called into the dining room, "Lucretia! Where is that woman?" she muttered under her breath.

Suddenly a petite blond woman entered the kitchen. Her eyes were focused on the floor. "Ma'am?" she said softly.

"Who are you? You're not Lucretia," Emily said.

"I'm Janet," she replied with a tone of fear. "You hired me yesterday afternoon," the woman offered.

"Oh, yes I did," Emily said remembering. Obviously Lorelai's insistence that Luke was coming to dinner had thrown her as she hired Janet only 12 hours ago. Lucretia had been a fine maid until Emily caught her dusting around objects instead of picking them up and so she was promptly let go.

"I haven't given you all the instructions of the house yet, but every Friday Mr. Gilmore and I have dinner with my daughter and granddaughter. This week I'll need you to set another place at the table for my daughter's boyfriend," Emily practically choked on the word boyfriend, as if it were some disagreeable vegetable on her tongue.

"Yes ma'am," Janet replied.

"Speaking of my granddaughter, have you met her yet?" Emily asked.

"I don't believe so ma'am," Janet replied.

"Well you've either met her or you haven't," Emily said rather irritated. "Has she been in the house this morning?"

"No ma'am. No one has been here," Janet said averting her eyes again. She wasn't sure if this was the best work environment for her.

"That's odd," Emily said setting down a piece of mail. "I thought Rory would have stopped by for some breakfast." Emily glanced at her watch, "Or at least some lunch." She noticed that Janet was hovering in the corner of the kitchen and she rolled her eyes before turning. "You can go now Janet."

Emily walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She looked out the window and over to the pool house. She didn't see anyone inside, but she decided to make a trip over to see if Rory was okay. She had given her enough space to make herself comfortable. Now was the time to make sure she had her thoughts in order.

Emily crossed the yard and knocked on the door of the pool house. She waited for a moment before she pushed open the door, which was unlocked.

"Rory," Emily called. "Rory are you here?"

Emily walked through the pool house in search of her granddaughter. She observed a book lying on the coffee table and a blanket strewn over the couch. She wandered into the bedroom and noted that her bed was unmade, but Rory was no where to be found. Emily sat down on the corner of the bed and surveyed the room. She noted that Rory had certainly made herself at home here. She had books piled on the nightstand, her laptop set up on the desk and clothes hanging in the closet. It was funny how comfortable Rory could be here when everything about the Gilmore house seemed to distress Lorelai. It made Emily happy to think that even though she wasn't able to provide a home that Lorelai could feel safe in, at least she could give that to her granddaughter.

Emily stood up and walked out of the bedroom and into the small hallway when she heard a noise. "Rory?" she called.

"Grandma?" Rory called back as she walked into the kitchen and set a bag down on the counter.

Emily walked into the kitchen and saw Rory unpacking a brown grocery bag. "Did you go shopping?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, there wasn't a whole lot here," Rory said throwing a few frozen pizzas into the freezer.

"You should have told me. I would have sent Janet," Emily said helping her unpack.

"New maid?" Rory asked removing a box of cookies from the bag.

"Yes," Emily replied simply. "You know you didn't have to go shopping. You're welcome to raid our cabinets anytime you'd like."

"That's okay Grandma," Rory said folding up the brown bag. "I needed to get out for while."

"Is everything okay?" Emily asked.

"Yes, fine," Rory said.

"Well I just wanted to stop by to tell you that your mother called me yesterday," Emily said. She noticed Rory's jaw clenched for a moment. "She's coming to dinner on Friday."

"She is?" Rory asked surprised. She assumed that her mother wouldn't set foot on Gilmore property ever again after the events of last Friday.

"Yes," Emily replied. "She's also bringing Luke with her."

Rory could tell by Emily's tone that she was anything but thrilled with the idea of Luke coming to dinner.

"So I was thinking," Emily continued, "that you might like to invite someone as well. Maybe Logan would like to come?"

"Oh," Rory said looking for the right words. She quickly remembered her mother's words to her a long time ago about Emily not doing anything out of the goodness of her heart. She wondered for a moment about her endgame. She knew that Luke made Emily uncomfortable and she figured Emily invited Logan to make Lorelai feel the same. "I don't know about inviting Logan."

"You two aren't fighting are you?" Emily asked.

"No, we're not fighting," Rory explained. "I just don't know if having him over would be the best thing. He's not Mom's favorite person right now."

"Your mother is a big girl Rory," Emily pressed her. "I'm not sure I've ever seen it, but I think she can behave like an adult. Besides, she's bringing Luke with her as reinforcement wouldn't you like one as well?"

"I'll have to see if Logan has plans. Maybe I'll invite him for dessert?" Rory suggested.

"That sounds wonderful," Emily said.

"Mom really wanted to come to dinner?" Rory asked Emily to clarify. Somehow something didn't seem right, especially since Emily said that Lorelai would bring Luke to dinner. Rory didn't think that her mother or Luke would ever want to set foot in the Gilmore house again.

"If you're wondering if I coerced her into coming to dinner the answer would be no," Emily replied. "Your mother decided to come on her own."

"I didn't think that," Rory lied. "I just figured she wouldn't want to see me for a while. She knows I'll be there right?"

"Of course she knows you'll be here," Emily chuckled. "Your mother just wants what's best for you. Maybe she's come to terms with your decision and she wants to make amends."

"Maybe," Rory replied feebly.

"So, what exciting plans have you got for today?" Emily asked.

"I haven't really decided yet," Rory said. "I thought I might see what was going on in Hartford today. I'm meeting Logan for dinner tonight."

"You're not having dinner with his family are you?" Emily asked alarmed. Although Lorelai had a tendency to be dramatic, Emily had a feeling she was telling the truth about the dinner Rory had at the Huntzbergers.

"No, just Logan," Rory replied. She still didn't know that Lorelai had given her grandparents the details on her vehement dislike of Logan's family. She thought they only knew of the internship.

"And have you given any thought to the job at your Grandfather's company?" Emily asked. "He asked me this morning if you were interested."

"I've thought about it a bit," Rory hesitated. In truth she had no interest in insurance or business. She wanted to be tactful in turning down her Grandparent's offer. "I'm really not sure insurance is something I'm all that interested in. I do appreciate the offer though."

"Alright," Emily replied disappointed. "I'll let Richard know. If insurance isn't of interest, what is?"

"I'm really not sure," Rory replied. "I'm not very interested in business."

"What about law?" Emily suggested. "A woman from my DAR group was just mentioning that her husband was looking for a good law clerk for the summer. Maybe you might like that."

"It might be interesting," Rory responded mulling over the offer.

"Well let me know," Emily said. "And don't forget to invite Logan over on Friday."

"Okay, I will," Rory replied.

Emily left the pool house feeling pleasantly smug. Although she didn't approve of what she heard about Logan's family she did approve of Logan. He was handsome, rich, polite and just the type of man who would fit into the Gilmore world. She knew Lorelai would be shocked and uncomfortable with Logan's presence and Emily thought it fitting because she would feel the same about Luke.

Rory sat down on the couch in the pool house and thought about her Grandmother's suggestion that she invite Logan to dinner. She was surprised that Lorelai had agreed to come to dinner. She was even more surprised that Luke was going to join her. To hear Luke tell it he would rather sell the dinner to Taylor and have it turned into a flower shop than go to dinner at the Gilmore's. She wondered if Emily was right. Was Lorelai bringing Luke for reinforcements? Rory thought about it and saw that if Lorelai came to dinner alone she would be outnumbered. She was nervous to see her mother again. It was a feeling she was unaccustomed to, aside from last summer after her indiscretion with Dean. Rory had seen Lorelai the night she unpacked at her grandparents, but they hadn't spoken. Rory simply turned her attention back to her books to avoid Lorelai's gaze. It wasn't the wisest decision she could have made, but she was unsure of what to say. There'd be no avoiding conversation on Friday. Rory picked up her cell phone and thought that her Grandmother was right. A reinforcement might not be a bad idea after all.

TBC

_Author's Note:_ Sorry, much like filler episodes this chapter was needed to set up dinner, which will occur in the next chapter.


	5. Shock and Awe

Author's Note: This chapter took a little longer than expected. I wanted to get the tone right and hopefully I accomplished that. Enjoy!

_Chapter 5  
"Shock and Awe"_

_

* * *

_Friday came quickly and Lorelai fidgeted nervously in the seat next to Luke as they drove through the streets of Hartford. He glanced over at her and placed his hand over hers in an attempt to reassure her. His attempt, however, was ill-advised as his hand was clammy from the anxiety he felt about going to the Gilmore's for dinner. 

"You look as nervous as I feel," he tried to chuckle and lighten the mood. Instead his chuckle sounded forced and nervous.

"This'll be okay right? We'll suffer through drinks, dinner and then we'll go in for the kill during dessert," she replied.

"Right," Luke replied feeling a little bit better. "This is Rory we're talking about. You just need to get her alone for a few minutes and I'm sure you'll work it all out."

"So we've got a plan," she said. "After dinner you'll pull my Dad aside and talk to him about some made-up insurance question and I'll send my Mom in search of some obscure childhood relic for the inn, which will hopefully buy me at least five minutes with Rory."

"It sounds like a good plan to me," Luke said as they pulled into the driveway. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Lorelai replied getting out of the truck. She glanced over at Luke and she made a mental note to tell him how nice he looked. He was ready for the Gilmore's this time and, as opposed to their first one-on-one meetings, Luke was dressed in the black pants and black sweater that Lorelai had bought him once upon a time. She knew she had good taste, but she didn't know just how well Luke would fill out that sweater.

They walked up to the door and rang the bell. They were greeted by a frazzled Janet. Lorelai could tell by the look in Janet's eyes that she wasn't long for the Gilmore world. Emily might lose this one to insanity before she had a chance to fire her.

"Hi, I'm the Gilmore's daughter Lorelai," she said. "Are they in the living room?"

"Y-y-yes ma'am," Janet whispered.

"Thanks," Lorelai replied taking Luke gently by the forearm.

Luke stood a wide-eyed glance at Janet as they walked away. "Is she gonna be okay?" Luke whispered in Lorelai's ear as they walked.

"I'm sure the men with the white coats will be by to get her shortly," Lorelai said plastering on a fake smile and entering the living room.

"Hi Mom, Dad," Lorelai said walking into the room with Luke by her side. "Hey kid," she added pleasantly as she sat down across from Rory.

"Hi everyone," Luke added.

Everyone said a pleasant hello and Richard started on the drinks as the rest of the room fell into an awkward silence.

"So Luke," Richard said unaware he was breaking an almost unbearable silence. "How is the diner?"

"It's very well Richard," Luke replied. "How is the insurance business?"

"Surprisingly calm," Richard said.

"Surprisingly?" Lorelai asked. "What's so surprising about that Dad?"

"It's usually a much busier time of year," Richard said. "Just as the inn has busier times I'm sure. Speaking of the inn, have you given any thought to Mike Armstrong's proposition?"

Lorelai looked at her father and she noted that he seemed proud of her. It was one of the few times in her life that Lorelai could tell he was truly happy with her. Apparently having a successful business, worthy of being bought out by someone like Mike Armstrong, pleased Richard greatly. Upon this new topic of conversation Luke tensed slightly. He and Lorelai hadn't really come to a definitive answer on the topic of selling the inn.

"Yes, I have actually," Lorelai replied.

"What proposition Richard?" Emily asked. "You never tell me anything anymore."

"Well I didn't want to mention it until Lorelai had thought it over," Richard informed her. "There may be nothing to discuss."

"Well?" Richard prompted Lorelai.

"Mike Armstrong is an associate of Dad's," Lorelai explained to Emily and Rory who looked puzzled. "He saw the article about the inn and he wanted to set up a meeting to talk about buying the Dragonfly."

"You're selling the Dragonfly?" Rory asked aghast.

"Mike Armstrong wants to buy the Dragonfly?" Emily asked. "That's a high compliment indeed Lorelai. His company owns inns across the country, even a few in Europe."

"What would you do?" Rory asked.

"He wants me to consult for his company," Lorelai said. "I'd travel around to different inns and maybe stick around at the Dragonfly for a little while to get things settled."

"So you've thought about it seriously?" Richard asked getting excited at the prospect of her response.

"I have," Lorelai said taking a deep breath. "As nice as it sounds I'm just not ready to sell the Dragonfly. I've only been there a year and I still have plans for it. Plus, I don't think I could seriously leave Stars Hollow for long periods of time. It's my home."

Rory glanced at her mother's hand, which reached over and grabbed Luke's. She intertwined her fingers with his and seemed nervous and yet somehow relaxed knowing Luke was next to her. Rory glanced quickly at Luke and his eyes were focused on Lorelai. He looked surprised by her response to the question, but he didn't allow his expression to give it away. Rory had never seen her mother look so content. It had only been a week since she'd spoken to Lorelai, but Rory wondered exactly what she had missed in that time.

"So you told him no," Richard responded with a knowing sarcasm.

"I politely declined his offer at this time," Lorelai said. "I've worked for twenty years to get the Dragonfly up and running. I just want to enjoy it for a while."

"But you were polite and courteous when you declined?" Richard clarified.

"No, I rented a sky writer spell out fu-"

"Lorelai," Richard said warningly before she could finish her thought.

"Of course I was nice, but enough about me, what about you?" Lorelai said letting go of Luke's hand and turning her attention toward Rory. "What have you been up to?"

"I've been settling in," Rory replied.

"Well you have a lot of books," Lorelai said unsure of what to say next. "Any summer job prospects?"

"Mona Covington's husband is looking for a law clerk," Emily responded for Rory. "She's thinking about that."

"That sounds interesting," Luke replied trying to be helpful.

"Charles Covington is a fine attorney, you'd learn a lot," Richard said.

"Law," Lorelai said. "Wow."

"What an enlightening comment," Emily said.

"What?" Lorelai said defensively. "What was I supposed to say? I just can't picture Rory filing briefs all summer."

"Well if you're so smart what can you picture her doing?" Emily retorted.

Rory sat back and watched as Emily and Lorelai traded barbs back and forth for a few minutes. Richard and Luke sat back helpless, knowing it was better to stay quiet than to have them turn their venom in their direction. Rory sat there trying to think of something say. It was bad enough not knowing what to do with her life, but now she didn't even know what to do with her summer.

"Dinner's ready," Janet said entering the living room at a lull in action. Five sets of eyes turned to look at the petite woman and she quickly ran from the room.

"Well, shall we?" Richard said standing and walking to the dining room. The rest of the group stood and followed him. It appeared that, for the moment, the disagreement was over.

Lorelai entered the dining room and noted an extra place setting next to Rory's usual seat. "Is Harvey coming to dinner tonight?" Lorelai asked. Her response was greeted with perplexed stares and she explained, "Harvey, big white rabbit, friend of Jimmy Stewart?" Lorelai sat and leaned over to Luke to whisper, "Tough room."

"Logan is going to be joining us for dessert," Emily finally said as she placed her napkin on her lap.

"Excuse me?" Lorelai asked dismayed. This was the first she'd heard of Logan stopping by, but she wasn't surprised that her mother would keep that a secret. She looked across the table at Rory who averted her eyes.

"Logan is Rory's boyfriend Lorelai," Emily replied. "You brought a guest why shouldn't she?"

Lorelai didn't respond verbally, she let out a snort of disgust and disagreement instead. Rory shot her mother a look of contempt and said, "I invited him, not Grandma."

"Well sure," Lorelai said. "Apparent you two are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, why shouldn't he come over?"

"I told Rory to invite him for dinner, but he had some other engagement," Emily informed Lorelai with a sly grin.

"I heard it's hard to reschedule probation hearings," Lorelai mumbled. Emily and Richard didn't hear her but Rory did. She snapped her attention to Lorelai who was taking a sip of her drink and she narrowed her eyes at her mother. Luke noted the look and tried to change the subject.

"Emily," Luke said. "Lorelai told me you were sponsoring a ballet dancer. That sounds interesting."

"Yes," Emily replied as Janet brought out the meal. "Are you a fan of ballet Luke?" Emily asked in her most condescending tone.

"Uh, no," Luke said clearing his throat and silently cursing himself for baiting the sleeping giant. "My Mom always liked it though."

"Your Mother?" Emily said. "Well I'd like to meet her sometime. At least she seems to enjoy culture."

Lorelai looked at Emily horrified. She had no way of knowing that Luke's parents were deceased because Lorelai rarely opened up about Luke, but Lorelai was horrified nonetheless.

"Actually my parents are deceased," Luke replied a little uncomfortably.

Emily and Richard exchanged a glance and Emily gave Luke an apologetic look. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I didn't know that. Maybe if my daughter would tell me these things I'd have known."

"There was no way you could have known," Luke agreed.

Lorelai wanted to diffuse the uncomfortable situation between Luke and her mother and so she revisited another awkward topic. "So Logan's coming over? Does his Dad have any more job offers for you?" she asked Rory.

"No, he doesn't," Rory replied curtly.

"Are you sure because those Huntzbergers' are doing a hell of job helping you with your future," Lorelai replied.

"Lorelai, we will not have this conversation at the dinner table," Richard warned her.

"Okay," Lorelai said nodded quickly and obviously upset. "What should we talk about then?"

"A more pleasant topic might be helpful," Richard said.

"Like what? The fact that my only child dropped out of Yale and you two seem to enjoy enabling her careless whim? Remember when I didn't go to college and I was the scourge of the Gilmore name? Why can't you two muster the same philosophy here?"

"Lorelai there is a great difference between you and Rory in case you hadn't noticed," Richard said adopting a surprisingly calm tone. "Rory has been accepted to Yale. She's attended classes for two years and now she's feeling a little lost. She is not pregnant--"

"Thank God," Emily interjected.

"Nor is she throwing away her dreams," Richard continued. "She's simply rethinking her plans. Every so often it's good to reevaluate."

"Thank you Gloria Allred, but I'd like to hear from your client," Lorelai said sarcastically. "Rory, can we talk about this? Just you and me? Give me five minutes."

Rory picked at her roast and shrugged, "Fine."

"This is wildly inappropriate," Emily said as Rory stood up.

"I'll just be a few minutes Grandma," Rory replied as walked out of the room.

Lorelai stood up and gave Luke a sympathetic look as she followed Rory out of the room. She felt bad leaving him in the vipers den, but with Logan coming over for dessert Lorelai knew she had to take any opportunity that presented itself. She followed Rory into the living room and walked over to the French doors leading to the patio.

"Shall we?" Lorelai asked opening the door and gesturing outside.

"We have to go outside?" Rory said.

"I'd rather of you don't mind," Lorelai said.

Rory huffed and led the way out on the patio. She stood there and waited for her mother to speak.

"Fresh air is good. I can actually breathe again," Lorelai said casually.

Instead of answering Rory stood before her mother mute. After all, it was Lorelai who had insisted on speaking to her alone, outside in the middle of dinner.

"Okay, great," Lorelai said after it was clear that Rory wouldn't be initiating the conversation anytime soon. "What the hell is going on with you Rory?"

"What's going with me?" Rory said agitated. "Well for starters I made a really difficult decision and then instead of supporting me, my mother kicked me out of the house."

"Rory I didn't kick you out of the house," Lorelai replied.

"You said if I dropped out of Yale I couldn't come home," Rory insisted. "I found other arrangements."

"You certainly did," Lorelai said. "You wanted to drop out of college so badly that you went behind my back to my parents. Do you have any idea how much that hurt? I thought we could talk about things."

"We did," she replied. "You talked and I listened and then I had to do what I needed to do."

"And what you needed to do was drop out of college and move into the pool house?"

"For now, yes," Rory hesitated slightly.

"And then what? Are you going to work at the law firm and bum around Hartford? Let me tell you, it's not the swinging nightlife they might portray."

"This isn't a joke," Rory spat.

"You're right, it's not," Lorelai said. "It's your life. The life we worked for and the life we planned for years to get you. Now you're looking at me and telling me that you're throwing it all away." Lorelai stopped for a moment and reflected on her last statement. She seemed to have a faded memory somewhere deep in the recesses of her mind that her mother and father had said something similar to her years ago. Lorelai shuttered at the thought that they were similar.

"I'm not throwing it away. I just need time to think about what I want to do with my life," Rory said.

"You already know Rory," Lorelai said crossing her arms over her chest. "You've know you wanted to be a journalist since you were four, when I let you watch _All the President's Men_. This isn't you. You're letting Logan's Dad cloud your judgment."

"I'm not letting him cloud my judgment. He's right. I've been floundering for a while. I had to drop that class last year and I'm not sure this is what I want anymore."

"You worked for Mitchum Huntzberger for two weeks. How many articles did you write? How many times did he edit your stories?"

"I never wrote any," Rory admitted.

"Exactly," Lorelai practically yelled. "So how does he know you? I've read every article you've ever written and I'm not telling you this as a mother, I'm telling you this as an unbiased third-party, you are extremely talented and I hate to see you throwing away your dream like this."

"I'm not," Rory shouted. "You don't have any idea what this is like. You've never been bad at anything you've ever tried. I'm not good enough to be a journalist. I don't have the killer instinct to go after it."

"You're right about that," Lorelai said quietly. "I don't what happened to you Rory, but you used to have the drive to go after what you wanted. You'd never let anyone tell you that what you wanted was impossible. Where is _that_ Rory? Because the person standing in front of me right now isn't her."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I don't know what I want or who I am right now. I just want some time to figure it out," Rory said looking at the ground and kicking a pebble with her shoe.

"Well you've got plenty of time," Lorelai replied. "I'm sure you and Grandma and Grandpa will work out an excellent plan for your future. They're great planners. Just be sure you follow it to the letter. You wouldn't want to let them down."

"Like I let you down," Rory said pointedly.

"You said it, I didn't," Lorelai said turning around. "Luke is probably wondering where we're at." Lorelai walked swiftly and determined to the door and opened it. Without turning to see if Rory would follow she shut it behind her and entered the living room. She took a deep breath and tried to collect her emotions. She was shocked that Rory didn't seem willing to listen to reason. She brushed her hair behind her ear and walked back into the dining room.

Rory stood outside in the night air and now it was her turn to watch Lorelai walk away without looking back. Rory felt hollow and even more unsure of herself. She sighed and trudged back into the house hoping Logan would arrive soon.

TBC


	6. Pot roast with a side of antacid

_Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews!_

_Chapter 6  
_"_Pot roast with a side of antacid"_

* * *

Lorelai returned to the dining room table and slunk into her seat next to look. Luke looked over at her and gave her a look of concern, mixed with relief that she had finally returned to the table. She could only imagine the conversation he'd had with her parents while she was gone. Lorelai did notice, however, that his beer glass, half-full when she left, was now completely empty. She gave him a small, sad smile to reassure him and she placed her napkin over her lap.

"Where's Rory?" Emily asked.

"She should be coming," Lorelai replied picking at her plate.

"Leaving the table in mid-meal is wildly--"

"Inappropriate, I know," Lorelai finished for her mother shoving a piece of potato in her mouth.

Rory returned to the table, her eyes downcast and looking glum. Emily placed her fork on her plate glanced at Richard, who seemed more concerned with his vegetables than with Rory.

"Are you alright?" Emily asked Rory in a serious tone.

"I didn't take her out back and rough her up Mom," Lorelai interjected.

"I didn't insinuate that you did Lorelai," Emily retorted. "I'm asking my granddaughter if she's okay."

"I'm fine Grandma," Rory replied sullenly.

"You don't look fine," Emily muttered. She waited a moment before bellowing, "Janet!"

The maid entered the room, her eyes darting from face to face. If she hadn't looked quite so terrified Luke might have thought it was funny.

"We're done with dinner," Emily said. "Please get dessert ready."

At that moment the doorbell rang and Rory's head shot up from her plate. She quickly threw her napkin on the table and stood up. "I'll get it," she said eagerly.

"Janet can get the door," Emily said.

"No, it's okay," Rory said walking out. "It's probably Logan. I can show him in."

Rory practically ran out of the room and Lorelai glanced at Luke. He looked different somehow. She wasn't sure she could place it, but there was something there. His eyes looked defeated, yet defiant. Lorelai sincerely hoped that he didn't take anything her parent's might have said while she was gone to heart. She knew she would have to talk to him about it later. For the moment she said, "The cavalry has arrived."

"What's that?" Emily asked.

"Nothing," Lorelai said sipping her drink. "I was just saying how excited I am that Logan could join us for dessert."

"Logan is a fine boy. He's got quite a future ahead of him."

"I'm sure," Lorelai said skeptically.

"I'm sure he'll make a wonderful partner for Rory. He supports her and he's financially sound. He'll be able to provide the type of like Rory deserves," Emily said a little too pointedly. Luke cleared his throat forcefully and Richard folded his hands together silently.

"Ah, the joys of arranged marriages," Lorelai said turning to Luke.

Rory could hear her Lorelai and Emily bickering again and she smiled as she pulled open the front door to find Logan.

"Hey Ace," she said.

Rory said nothing. She threw arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Logan said as he returned her hug.

"I'm just glad you're finally here," she said with a sigh.

"Hey, it's okay," he said entering the house with Rory still attached to his neck. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Rory said. "My Mom and I just had a thing and my Grandma and my Mom have been sniping at each other all night and I'm just really glad that you're here."

"Well I'm glad I could be here," he said as she finally let him go.

As Rory pulled away from her she noticed that he had a bouquet of flowers in his hand. She thought for a moment that they were for her, but she realized that they were probably for her Grandmother. Logan was raised in a house where etiquette dictated bringing a gift after all. Rory showed him into the dining room and everyone to greet him.

"Logan," Emily said a bit too happily. "It's so nice to see you again."

"You as well Mrs. Gilmore," Logan replied. "Mr. Gilmore. Lorelai."

"That's Luke," Rory said gesturing toward Luke.

"We've met," Logan said walking over to the other side of the table and extending his hand. "I don't think we were properly introduced though."

"No, we definitely weren't," Luke replied recalling how he'd met Logan at the elder Gilmore's vow renewal. It was a meeting he'd just as soon forget.

"Lorelai, these are for you," Logan said handing Lorelai the bouquet of flowers that Rory had assumed were for Emily. "I didn't know you'd be here the last time I was over for dinner and I wanted to make it up to you."

"There was no need," Lorelai said through gritted teeth. "Really."

"No, I insist. It was my pleasure," Logan replied as he made his way back to Rory's side of the table. "How is the insurance business Mr. Gilmore? My mother mentioned that Henderson Mitchell was going to put up quite a fight over that settlement your company finagled out of him."

Richard seemed to perk up slightly. "Henderson is all talk," Richard replied. "I'm sure our lawyers will make him things our way."

"I'm sure they will," Logan replied with a toothy grin. "So Luke, are you in the insurance business?"

"No, I'm not," Luke replied as Janet cleared his plate. "I own a diner in Stars Hollow."

"Really?" Logan said.

"Luke makes the best cheeseburgers in the world," Rory added.

"I don't know if I'd say that," Luke replied sheepishly.

"Don't let him lie to you," Rory added. "Luke knows just the right cheese to burger ratio."

"Well it sounds like we'll have to go there sometime," Logan said.

"You should stop by," Luke replied sensing an opening for Rory to come visit Stars Hollow. He was uncertain of what Lorelai and Rory discussed outside, but he thought it could hurt to extend the offer. "I'm sure Lane would love to see you, if she's not on tour anyway."

"On tour?" Rory asked puzzled. It had been days, probably weeks since Rory had spoken to Lane. "With the band?"

"Yeah," Luke nodded. "She's taking some time off to travel with the band. Mrs. Kim arranged the whole thing."

"Mrs. Kim?" Rory asked incredulously. Janet leaned in and placed a bowl piece of pie in front of Rory.

"It sounds like you haven't talked to Lane in a while," Emily said.

"I guess I haven't," Rory replied stunned that her best friend was going on tour with the band and she didn't know about it.

"We'll have to find out where their playing," Logan suggested.

"What type of music does Lane's band play?" Emily asked.

"Nothing you'd know," Lorelai mumbled.

"Maybe not," Emily replied hearing her daughter's comment. "But I'm curious to know."

"They play mostly covers and some original tunes," Rory replied.

"But nothing I'd know," Emily stated with an attitude.

"Probably not," Rory replied hesitantly.

"You're awfully quiet Richard," Emily changed the focus of the conversation.

"I just have some work on my mind," Richard replied absently.

"So, Logan," Lorelai said turning her attention to her daughter's boyfriend. "What do you think about Rory's big decision?"

"Mom," Rory said warningly.

"What? I'm just curious what Logan thinks about your new living situation, dropping out of Yale. I mean, if his family didn't like you before, I suspect they aren't going to be on the Rory bandwagon anytime soon, unless of course you're leaving Yale to attend finishing school."

"Lorelai," Luke said quietly trying to calm her down.

"Lorelai Gilmore," Emily said aghast. "You apologize to Logan this instant."

Logan didn't quite know how to respond. He sensed that Lorelai was definitely not his biggest fan, but he didn't expect her to be so very blunt about it.

"Logan, I'm so sorry," Rory said starting to apologize for her mother when Logan interrupted her.

"No, it's okay," Logan said patting her hand, but looking directly at Lorelai. "My family behaved horribly when Rory came to dinner and I have no real excuse for them. I've apologized to Rory for their behavior. I can only hope that you won't judge me by my family. I think we'd all like to be judged on our own merits and not our families." Logan cocked his eyebrow in a way that made Lorelai see he was drawing a parallel between his family and hers. He had a point of course, but his expression also made her want to jump across the table and smack him.

"Logan, I'm so sorry for Lorelai's abhorrent behavior," Emily said apologetically.

"And what does your father think of Rory's change in plans? It seems he was quite instrumental in her decision." Lorelai pressed on, unconcerned with her family's reaction to her line of questioning. She felt Luke grab her hand under the table and squeeze it in an attempt to rein her in.

"Lorelai," she heard her father say.

"Yes Dad?" Lorelai replied casually.

"This is not the time or place for this conversation."

"Really? Because I kind of think this is perfect time and place for it," Lorelai responded. "I've got Logan right here in front me and Rory has no intention of coming home anytime soon. When would be a good time for this conversation?"

"Lorelai," Luke said softly. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Not now," she replied seriously.

"I think now would be best," Luke said more forcefully as he stood up and took her by the hand. Rory gave Luke an appreciative glance while Emily and Richard looked on. Lorelai gave in and followed Luke out into the foyer.

"What?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm just going to assume that the talk with Rory didn't go well," Luke replied meaningfully.

"No, it didn't go well," she sighed. "Why did you pull me out here?"

"It wasn't obvious? I was saving you from yourself. You were about to go Full Metal Jacket on that kid."

"I was not," Lorelai scoffed.

"You didn't see it," Luke said approaching her. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not," Lorelai admitted feebly. "She's not Rory. I don't know how to get through to her anymore. All of sudden it's like I don't know how to connect with her. She's my kid. She's my best friend and I don't know how to get her to listen to me."

Luke stood behind Lorelai and rubbed her shoulders gently. "I can't imagine how hard this is on you, he said quietly. "But, I don't think ripping into Logan is going to make you feel better."

"Says who?" Lorelai said. She took a deep breath as Luke massaged her shoulders expertly. "I should have let you and Christopher kill him at my parent's wedding. Rory was never like this before she met him. Everything that's happened is all his fault."

"You don't believe that," Luke said.

"Yes, I do," she replied wide-eyes and serious.

"Fine, you might believe that," Luke conceded. "But think about this. If you go back in there and lay into that kid it's not going to help you and Rory. Attacking her boyfriend isn't what you want to do."

"How did you get to be so smart with the parenting?" Lorelai asked.

"By watching you," he said.

Lorelai turned and gave him a small sad smile and kissed him gently on the lips. She took a deep breath and sighed. "So how bad was it?"

"It could have been worse," Luke said. "But it was getting a little tense."

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded and bit her lip. "I didn't think I'd be having crow for dessert tonight. Were my parents civil to you while we were outside?"

"It was fine," Luke replied evasive.

"What a glowing endorsement," Lorelai said teasing him.

"Let's just say I'm glad you came back when you did," Luke said.

Lorelai started walking back to the dining room and Luke tugged at her hand. "Are you sure you're ready to go back in?"

"It's now or never," Lorelai said and she turned to walk back into the dining room. When Lorelai set foot in the dining room the conversation between those at the table seemed to immediately cease. Rory refused to look at her, Emily gave Lorelai her patented disapproving glare, while Richard and Logan seemed unaffected by her presence.

"So, it's been pointed out to me by a very reliable source that I might win the Academy Award for the roll of Bad Cop at tonight's dinner," Lorelai tried to make light as Luke settled into his chair beside her. "Logan, I apologize for coming down on you tonight. It was out of line. I guess I'm just trying to see things from Rory's point of view and it's a little hard right now. I didn't mean to imply that you were at fault and I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Logan replied. "My parents had the same reaction when I took some time off."

Emily looked over at Lorelai incredulous. She had never seen her daughter backtrack so quickly or eloquently. She wondered what Luke had said to her in the foyer to make her completely change her tune when her own warnings seemed to be wholly ignored.

Rory was surprised by her mother's apology and grateful that Luke had talked some sense into her, but she wasn't quite ready to forgive and forget the attack on Logan. She shifted in her seat and avoided eye contact with Lorelai for the rest of dessert. The conversation, though strained, continued for another few minutes before everyone's pie had been mostly picked over, none of them truly hungry.

"Well, I think we should get going," Lorelai said as Janet cleared the plates.

"You're leaving?" Emily asked surprised. She assumed Lorelai would want to stay late into the evening for a chance to speak to Rory again. She seemed to be giving up rather easily.

"Yes," Lorelai said as if it were obvious. She stood up and Luke followed obligingly. He was also a bit surprised by Lorelai's abrupt exit. "Thank you for having us."

"Yes, thanks," Luke offered. Everyone at the table stood, but Rory refused to make eye contact with Lorelai as they walked toward the foyer.

"I guess I'll see you?" Lorelai said to Rory.

"Yeah, you'll see me," Rory replied.

"Before you turn 30?" Lorelai clarified.

"I'll call you," Rory said just hoping her mother would leave.

"Anytime you know that right? You can call me anytime you want to talk," Lorelai said seriously.

"I know," Rory said wrapping her arms around herself. "Bye."

"Bye," Lorelai replied a bit hurt.

"It was nice to see you Rory," Luke offered.

"It was nice seeing you Luke," she replied. "If you see Lane tell her I'll give her a call soon."

"I'll do that," Luke said as they left.

"Goodnight," Emily called as she shut the door behind them. "Logan, again I apologize for Lorelai. I never thought she'd behave that way."

"It wasn't a big deal Mrs. Gilmore," Logan said.

"Grandma we're gonna go back to the pool house," Rory said taking Logan's hand.

"Alright," Emily said. "Are you okay? I know seeing your mother must have been difficult."

"It was fine," Rory dismissed her. "I'm just a little tired. Logan and I are going to hang out for a little while."

"Well goodnight," Emily said. "It was lovely to see you again Logan."

"You as well Mrs. Gilmore," Logan replied with a smile. "Mr. Gilmore," he nodded as they walked toward the back door.

"Night Grandpa," Rory said.

"Goodnight Rory," Richard replied.

After Logan and Rory had left the house and the door shut behind them Emily and Richard exchanged a glance. Emily sighed deeply, "Well that was horrific. I can't believe you just sat there while Lorelai attacked Logan."

"What would you have had me do Emily? Lorelai doesn't listen to anyone, let alone you and me."

"We just sat there mute. What were you thinking about anyway?"

"I was thinking about the conversation we had with Luke if you must know," Richard replied.

"Luke?" Emily scoffed. "Please."

"He was serious Emily," Richard said gravely. "You dismiss him too easily and whether you approve or not, he loves our daughter."

"What exactly are you saying Richard?" Emily questioned him.

"I'm saying we need to think about what he said tonight and think about it seriously. He knows Lorelai better than we do. We're her own parents and a diner owner knows her better than we do."

"We have Rory to deal with right now," Emily replied. "The situation with Lorelai can wait. She'll get over this, she always does."

"I'm afraid there might some a time when she doesn't," Richard said.

"How did Luke get to you like this? This situation with Rory was your plan Richard. You spoke with her and you set this in motion. I went along with it because you said it was the best thing for everyone and I believed you."

"Are you saying you were on Lorelai's side? The way you fawn all over Logan Huntzberger you wouldn't know it," Richard shot at her as he walked into the living room to pour a glass of scotch.

"Lorelai came to us and we told her we'd help her," Emily said. "The next thing I knew you were telling me the plan had changed and I went along with it whole-heartedly. You're changing your mind now?"

"I'm not changing my mind Emily," he replied sternly. "I'm merely thinking about what Luke said at dinner more carefully. Did that conversation bother you at all?"

"Of course it did," Emily replied. "That's exactly why I don't wish to think about it right now."

"Well we'd better start thinking about it Emily, before it's too late," Richard finished off his drink. "I have a call to make, excuse me for a moment."

Richard left Emily sitting on the couch thinking about the conversation they'd had with Luke. It bothered her more than she wanted to say at the time, but Lorelai's behavior at dinner almost made her forget it. She was hoping to put it out of her mind, but now that she knew Richard was concerned about it she was as well.

Richard never flinched in the face of adversity, but something about Luke's words had shaken him to the core. He couldn't place the anxiety that he felt but he knew it was familiar. He sat down at his desk and ruminated on the conversation hoping to find something to help him resolve his feelings about the information Luke had shared with them that evening.

TBC


	7. In the Arms of the One You Love

_Author's Note: My apologies for the long wait in between updates. When last we met Lorelai and Luke had just left Friday night dinner. Thanks for the kind reviews and suggestions._

* * *

Chapter 7  
"In the Arms of the One You Love"

Lorelai and Luke drove in silence down the dark, narrow road back to Stars Hollow, neither was sure of what to say. Lorelai mentally relived each and every comment and gesture she made at the dinner table. Luke thought over his conversation with the Emily and Richard and wondered if he'd perhaps said too much. Finally Luke broke the silence.

"Are you okay?" he asked Lorelai for the third or fourth time that evening.

"I'm okay," she reassured him softly. "Just trying to think things through I guess. I doubt Rory will have much to say to me ever again after tonight."

"She'll come around," Luke said confidently, as if he were some omniscient god. Lorelai silently hoped he was right. Maybe he could see the future. He'd told her on more than one occasion that she'd be okay, that everything would work out. Lorelai couldn't remember a time when he'd been wrong about such things and so she let herself believe him, if only for a moment.

"I handled things all wrong," she said.

"You don't know that," he replied. "I bet Rory will see things your way eventually. She just needs time. Maybe this is her way of venturing out on her own, spreading her wings."

"She's going to spread her wings in my parent's house?" Lorelai scoffed. "Not likely. I know why the caged bird sings Luke; it's to escape the prison of my parent's house. It's singing to plead anyone to stop and save it from the bars of my parent's gilded cage."

Luke didn't respond. He simply watched the road ahead. "Nothing?" she said after a moment. "I thought that was a pretty good reference."

"Hmm," Luke replied absently.

"Mission control to Major Tom," Lorelai said waving her hand by his face. "Are you in there?"

"Sorry," Luke said clearing his throat. "Sorry, I was out of it for a minute."

"I see they sucked the life force out of you too. What did you guys talk about while Rory and I were gone anyway? I hope they weren't too horrible. Things seemed a little quiet when I got back to the table."

"No," Luke evaded. "It wasn't too bad."

"Your beer was gone by the time I got back," Lorelai pressed.

"I guess it was," Luke said.

"We were gone like five minutes," Lorelai said. "My parents must have said something to get you to put down a beer that quickly."

"Not really," Luke continued to evade her questioning.

"Just the usual huh?" Lorelai said knowingly, but unknowingly oblivious to the conversation Luke had with her parents. "Luke, I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to thank you enough for coming with me tonight. It was above and beyond the call of duty."

"You wanted me there, I'm there," he said reaching over and giving her knee a light squeeze. "This is all gonna work out."

"Yeah," Lorelai replied feeling anything but confident.

Luke navigated the turn off the highway and drove passed the Stars Hollow sign. "You sound like you need pie," he said.

"I _do_ sound like I need pie," she said perking up.

"Well I think we should stop and get you some then," he replied.

"Had I known that a horrible dinner with my family might get you to lighten up on your pie Nazi duties I might not have dreaded it so much," Lorelai grinned.

"Don't get your hopes up too high," Luke responded. "All I have is peach pie."

"The dreaded peach," Lorelai said glumly. "Well I guess beggars can't be choosers."

Luke chuckled lightly as he parked the truck outside of the diner. They exited the vehicle and Luke unlocked the door. "So, what about your parents?" he asked as they entered. "You and your Mom seemed to be going at it tonight."

"It's just the usual," Lorelai replied placing her purse on the counter.

"It seemed pretty hostile," Luke tried again.

"It just kills me that my mother thinks she knows what's best for Rory," Lorelai replied angrily. "As if she was Mother of the Year when I was under that roof. But, I don't know, maybe she does know what Rory's needs. She's obviously happy there."

"Don't let this situation make you doubt yourself," Luke said as he cut her a slice of pie. "You're a great mother."

"I was for a few years anyway," Lorelai said glumly picking at the slice of pie Luke placed in front of her.

Luke looked at Lorelai sitting before him and she looked lost. More lost than he'd ever seen the confident, radiant woman before him. The worst part of the matter was that he couldn't do anything to make things better between Rory and Lorelai. Luke was helpless to make her parents see things her way. He was unaccustomed to being helpless. The last time he felt this way was when his mother was ill. He couldn't do anything to ease her pain, or the pain of his family and he didn't like it.

"Did I tell you that Kirk came in today?" Luke said suddenly changing the subject. Lorelai looked up at him surprised by his abrupt question, but grateful for the distraction.

"No," she said. "What happened?"

"Well it turns out that his brother is coming to town for a few days and he made plans to see Lulu," Luke said.

"Is this the brother that used to date Lulu?" Lorelai asked intrigued.

"The one and the same," Luke replied.

"So what did Kirk want?" Lorelai asked intrigued.

"He told me I was the burliest guy he knew and that I looked I'd be able to hold my own in a fist fight," Luke informed her. "He wanted me to show him a few pointers in case he had to defend Lulu's honor."

Luke suppressed a smile as he spoke. "Please tell me you're going to show him how to street fight," Lorelai said excitedly. "Please? Will you? Please let me watch?"

"Will it make you feel better?" Luke asked.

"Yes," Lorelai smiled shyly.

"I'll tell him to come over on Sunday," Luke replied only half-joking.

"I have the best boyfriend in the whole world," Lorelai grinned as she shoveled a bite of pie into her mouth. She leaned forward and gave him a small kiss on the lips. Luke returned the kiss and licked his lips.

"You and Liz are right," he said making a face.

"About what?" Lorelai asked.

"The peach pie is not very good," he replied with a smile.

"Logan I'm so sorry about tonight," Rory apologized when they returned to the pool house.

"It's okay Ace," Logan replied throwing a lazy arm over her shoulder. "Although I will say I'm not used to my girlfriend's mothers hating me."

"She doesn't hate you," Rory said. "She doesn't ever know you. We're just not getting along right now and she's taking it out on you."

"I think she hates me," Logan said knowingly.

"Well I hate her right now so I guess we're even."

"You don't mean that," Logan said dismissing her as he took a seat on the couch.

"I don't know what I mean," Rory said taking a seat next to him. "I'm so confused about everything right now."

"Did your Grandparents rook you into taking that law internship?" Logan asked.

"I haven't committed to it yet, but I'll probably take it."

"Rory Gilmore, attorney at law," Logan mocked her. "It sounds like a reality series to me."

"Hey, I'll have you know that I was a very good debater when I went to Chilton," Rory said flirtatiously as she hit him playfully.

"Sorry," Logan flirted back. "Please don't file a suit of defamation of character against me Ms. Gilmore."

"I'll see you in court Mr. Huntzberger," Rory replied as she leaned forward and kissed him. Logan returned her kiss and she felt a little bit better about the evening. She took comfort in the fact that although so many things in her life seemed to be falling apart, her relationship with Logan was one of them. He leaned her back on the couch and they continued to kiss.

"I'd rather see you in the bedroom Ms. Gilmore," he whispered in her ear and kissed her again.

"Logan, my grandparents are right across the yard," Rory tried to suppress a giggle as he nipped at her ear.

"Well then we should probably turn off the light," Logan said reaching over to click off the lamp on the table. "Either that or we move this to the bedroom counselor."

"After consulting with my client, I think that can be arranged," Rory giggled.

Logan got up and took her by the hand as they walked toward the bedroom. For the first time that night Rory felt like things were as they should be and she was in the company of someone who understood and cared about her.

Richard had spent a good amount of time in office pouring over work until he reached into a file in his locked desk drawer. He pulled out an old folded sheet of paper that had been worn and weather throughout the years. He scanned the document and sighed remembering the first time he'd read it. It was the letter his mother had given to him a day prior to his wedding to Emily. He remembered feeling conflicted and angry when he'd first read it. However, in the end he ignored his mother's advice and his life had been better for it.

Richard heard a light knock on the study door and he quickly folded the note and placed it back into the desk drawer.

"Come in," Richard called as he locked the desk drawer.

Emily entered the room and walked over to the chair in front of Richard's desk. "Are you coming to bed soon Richard?" she asked.

"Yes, I was just finishing up," he replied clearing his throat slightly.

"It certainly has been a long night," Emily said.

"That it has," Richard acknowledged. "I think we should have a talk with Rory tomorrow about the internship at the law firm. I know it may not be what she's looking for, but I think it will do her good."

"I agree," Emily replied. "It might give her some stability to have a steady job, at least for the summer."

"Yes. We should probably also start working out a plan for how to proceed from here."

"Yes," Emily said. She hesitated slightly before she added, "And what about Luke?"

"We'll have to discuss that as well," Richard said.

"I suppose we will," Emily said irritably.

"Emily, please let's not debate this tonight," Richard sighed.

"I'd rather not debate it at all and the fact that you're even entertaining his little speech is beyond me."

"Emily, whether we like it or not, Luke is the man that Lorelai has chosen. We either have to accept that or accept the consequences. I remember how upset you were when Lorelai left here twenty years ago. I'd rather not have to relive that when she cuts us out of her life again."

"She wouldn't do that," Emily replied defiantly.

"You're being very short-sighted," Richard replied. "Rory is living here with us and Lorelai is quite angry over that. Now wouldn't be the time to alienate her further by giving Luke grief."

"And whose fault is it that Lorelai is upset with us over Rory? I was ready to back up Lorelai in her decision to get Rory to go back to school."

"Which you've not been shy about sharing with me," Richard interjected. "I know your position on the matter Emily and you know mine."

"Well then where does that leave us?" Emily asked.

"Can we leave it until the morning Emily? Please?" he softening suddenly.

Emily saw the resolve on Richard's face. She also saw that he looked as tired as she felt and she knew that this was no time to engage in a debate over the lives of Rory and Lorelai.

"Alright," Emily said. "But, I'm not certain of how any of this will turn out."

Richard stood up from behind his desk and joined Emily's side as they walked out of the study. "I'm not either," he replied. "The only thing I am sure of is that I have been fortunate to have you by side through everything we've been through."

"Richard," Emily said touched. He wasn't one for a lot of verbal affection, especially out of nowhere.

"Let's just go to bed Emily," he said softly as he placed his arm around her shoulder gently.

Emily wasn't sure if this was his way of preempting a potential spat or not, but regardless she was happy to know that Richard was by her side through it all.

TBC


	8. Eavesdropping and The Crap Shack

_Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I should point out now that I still don't own Gilmore Girls._

* * *

Chapter 8  
"Eavesdropping and The Crap Shack"

Rory hung her sweater on the back of the chair and settled in at the breakfast table that morning aware that her grandparents were looking to her for answers. What was her plan? Would she take the job as a law clerk? What did she want to pursue as a profession, if not journalism? She wished that she had answers to their questions, affirmations for their inquisitive eyes. The truth was she didn't have answers for them or, for that matter, herself. The last week had been such as mess that she wasn't sure where to begin. She almost wished she'd said no to their invitation for breakfast, but she felt she owed them much more than an appearance at a meal.

"Rory," Richard began as breakfast was served. "Have you given any thought to the job at the law office?"

"Yes," Rory said a little unsteadily. For some reason this moment felt heavy, possibly because it carried all the hopes and dreams she once had. "I've decided I'd like to try it."

Emily's face lit up instantly and she placed her coffee cup down onto its saucer. "That's wonderful," she said overly excited. It was as if Rory's answer affirmed that Richard had made the right choice in siding with Rory over Lorelai. "I think you'll enjoy it there. You might even find you like law."

"Yeah," Rory nodded not committing to anything. After thinking it through she realized that the job would only be for a few months. Since she really had no thoughts as to what she wanted to do with her life it couldn't hurt to check out all the possibilities.

"Excellent," Richard affirmed. "No matter what career path you choose, I'm sure the experience will be invaluable to you."

"I'm sure," Rory nodded in agreement as she ate her omelet.

Emily noticed that Rory looked a little down. She figured it had more to do with Lorelai than with the job at the law firm. Emily wished that she had been able to hear what Lorelai said to Rory out on the patio the previous evening, but she was too preoccupied with Luke to eavesdrop properly.

"Did Logan stay very long last night?" Emily asked not really sure she wanted to know the answer.

Rory swallowed hard and tried to keep the crimson from rising in her cheeks. Logan had wanted to stay the night her, but she forced him out at around two in the morning. The thought of her grandparents seeing his car in the driveway in the morning and knowing he'd spent the night was too much for Rory to think about. They still thought of her as their angel. It was odd enough having sex with Logan in the pool house knowing her grandparents were less than 100 yards away. He grudgingly left the pool house, jacket in hand, and promised to call her the next day.

"No," Rory lied clearing her throat.

"I thought I heard a car around two," Richard said to no one in particular as he looked up from the paper.

"Yeah, he left around then," Rory said biting her lower lip. "We were watching a movie."

"Anything interesting?" Emily asked.

"No," Rory fumbled for a title. Of all the films she'd watched in her life she couldn't seem to find the title of one.

"Well what was it? Why would you watch a movie you didn't like?" Emily countered unaware of the pressure she placed on Rory.

"Oh, I didn't mean it wasn't a good movie," Rory struggled. "It was one I'd seen before."

"What was it?" Emily asked intrigued.

"Um, it's called Spinal Tap," Rory said finally pulling a title from her brain. Why she choose Spinal Tap she didn't know and she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to explain it.

"Spinal Tap?" Emily replied aghast. "What a horrible title."

"It's not one of those documentaries on plastic surgery is it? It seems every time I turn on the television I see some surgeon cutting open a spleen," Richard chimed in.

"Richard, please," Emily piped up. "Some of us are eating."

"No, actually Spinal Tap is about a rock band," Rory said. "It's pretty funny actually."

"Oh it sounds it," Emily replied sarcastically. "And Logan likes movies like that?"

"Yeah, he does," Rory said quickly. But she suddenly realized that she wasn't sure if Logan liked it or not. She wasn't even sure if Logan liked movies. They'd never watched one together.

"Well that's nice I suppose," Emily replied.

Rory was just about finished with her breakfast, but Richard and Emily were still at the table. It was almost as if they were waiting for her to leave.

"Well, I'm going to go," Rory said hesitantly standing.

"Alright," Emily smiled without getting up.

"I'll make the arrangements with the law firm today," Richard said. "I'd assume they'd want you to start on Monday."

"Okay," Rory nodded. "I'm probably going to hang out at Logan's tonight." She was unsure of how much information they needed. They weren't her parents and she was twenty years old, but she felt as if she owed them at least a sketchy account of where she'd spending her time.

"That sounds nice," Emily said. "Have fun."

"Okay. Well let me know about the job. I guess I'll see you both later."

"Have a good day Rory," Richard said.

"Thanks. You too," Rory said as she walked into the kitchen. She had an unsettling feeling in her stomach. It was as if her grandparents were conspiring and they needed her gone to do it. Little did she know she wasn't too far off the track.

"Well," Richard said folding up his paper. "Now that we've gotten Rory on the right track I suppose we should discuss last night."

"I suppose we should," Emily agreed folding her hands on the table.

"I agree with Luke," Richard said plainly. Emily scanned his face to see if she could read his eyes. She found nothing but serious resolve on his face.

"I think I just had a stroke," Emily said in disbelief.

"Emily," Richard started to protest.

"No, a stroke would be the only possible explanation to how I heard you say that you agree with that scruffy, plaid man."

"Emily, he has a point," Richard said.

"No, I don't accept that," Emily replied insolently.

"Emily, whether we like it or not Lorelai is dating Luke. Seriously, I might add. That was made abundantly clear last night. We can't change her mind no matter how strongly we might not approve. Didn't you hear what Luke told us last night?"

"I've chosen to forget it," Emily said glancing away.

"You're making a mistake," Richard insisted.

"Since when did you become Luke's head cheerleader?" Emily asked him seriously.

"I'm in no way his cheerleader Emily," Richard sighed. "But once again, you're not thinking ahead. There is every indication that Luke is going to be part of our family, whether we like it or not."

Rory was half-way across the yard when she realized she'd forgotten her sweater on the back of her chair. It wasn't cold out, but the late May air was crisp at night and Rory had intended to wear it later. She sighed and turned around. She headed back toward the house to retrieve her sweater, half-expecting the maid to bring it to her before she got inside the house. Emily didn't like anything out of place, least of all a sweater draped over a chair.

Rory entered the kitchen silently and immediately heard loud tones coming from the dining room. She wasn't sure if she should enter the room during what seemed like a heated conversation so she waited quietly by the door to ascertain the situation.

"Think of how Trix treated you Emily," Rory heard Richard say. "She was very hard on you and you resented her for it until the day she died."

"What are you saying Richard?" Emily countered, her tone dripping with hostility. "Are you saying I've become your mother?"

"No," Richard replied trying to backtrack. "I'm saying that Trix had very strong opinions about things, specifically my marriage to you. The two of you fought like cats and dogs because of it."

"Of course we did," Emily replied quickly. "Your mother begged you not to marry me on the day of our wedding!" The words slipped out and she instantly regretted them. She'd never told Richard that she'd found the letter his mother wrote him.

"How did you?" Richard said stuttered.

"I'm sorry," Emily cut him off. "I found the letter when I was cleaning out your mother's house. I never meant for you to know that I knew."

Rory wondered if she should leave. She felt a little guilty listening in on their conversation. But on the other hand she wondered why they talking about a subject long forgotten.

"My mother only wanted the best for me," Richard explained. "I wish you'd never have seen that letter."

"Well I did," Emily replied. "I suppose she thought I wasn't the best for you then?"

"Emily please don't turn this into more than it is," Richard said.

"I don't think I am Richard," Emily said. "Your mother always hated me and I always thought it was because she preferred Pennilyn to me. Finding that letter only validated my suspicion."

"Trix may have preferred Pennilyn to you," Richard said. "But I didn't. I love you Emily. I chose you regardless of what my mother wanted."

"I'm sure she was less than thrilled with you," Emily responded.

"I'm sure she was, but I didn't care then and I don't care now," Richard said softly. "I loved you the moment I saw you Emily."

Emily's face softened and she was once again touched by Richard's confession. She was about to speak, but Richard cut her off before she could get a word out. "This is why I don't think Lorelai will care what we say or do to keep her from marrying Luke. She loves him, that much obvious."

Rory's ears perked up at the last sentence and she was suddenly very puzzled. Her grandparents seemed to believe that Lorelai and Luke were on the verge of marriage. Why didn't Rory know about this? Surely her mother wouldn't consider getting married without at least talking to her about it. In her shock Rory missed part of the conversation and picked it up mid-sentence.

"Luke told as much at dinner last night," Richard finished.

"He's divorced," Emily said.

"And Lorelai had a child when she was sixteen," Richard countered. "Neither of them are perfect specimens for the American family."

"And you're okay with this?" Emily replied seemingly calm.

"No, of course not, but we have to work with what we're given."

"The thought of Lorelai marrying him…" Emily trailed off. "And to think, he made it sound as if it were her idea. At least Rory is making a sensible choice in Logan."

"Logan certainly comes from a good family," Richard agreed.

Rory had heard enough. She turned quickly on her heel and exited the kitchen into the backyard. The cool morning air felt good on her face, which she felt must be red and flushed. Her chest felt surprisingly tight and she thought for a moment to she might start to cry. Lorelai was her mother, yes, but more than that, she was her best friend. Lorelai was always there for her and vice versa. Rory never imagined that she would make a life-changing decision like marriage without her.

Rory remembered when her mother was engaged to Max. He was staying the night at their house for the first time and Lorelai came downstairs to sleep with Rory, the gravity of the situation too much for her. But now, Luke had slept at their house, on more than one occasion. Rory had called early in the morning and heard him there many times. Lorelai never once called her panicked over the thought of Luke being there when she woke. Rory knew that her mother was happy with Luke, her behavior when they briefly broke up was proof. Rory had never seen her mother so lonely, so depressed and so broken. But for some reason she never thought of them getting married. Furthermore, she never thought Lorelai would consider it without talking to her about it first.

As Rory made her way to the pool house she tried to steady her breathing. She found it ironic that she felt this way. She didn't consult her mother without dropping out of Yale and that was life-changing. Why should Lorelai consult her about marriage? Rory was twenty after all. She was old enough to move out, drop out of school and make her own way in life. Consciously she knew this information, but in her heart she felt utterly alone and hurt. How could she do this?

Rory made it back to the pool house and threw her hair into a ponytail. She grabbed her cell phone and keys off the counter and made her way to her car. There was only one place she could turn to get the answers she needed. She knew she would find what she was looking for in Stars Hollow.

* * *

"Luke?" Lorelai whispered groggily. She reached out and felt emptiness beside her. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that Luke's side of the bed was vacant and she glanced at the clock. She groaned outwardly and threw back the covers. As she made her way down the stairs she could smell breakfast and a smile spread across her face as she made her way into the kitchen.

"So you didn't abandon me," she said as she ran her hand across Luke's back while he made breakfast.

"No, I just thought you might want some breakfast before I left," he said.

"Haven't we been over this?" Lorelai asked remembering the talk they had about Luke cooking at the diner and not in her kitchen.

"We have," Luke said setting the plate down in front of her. "But, you slept in and you have a meeting with the horse guy this morning. I figured you wouldn't have time to come by the diner."

"Smart man," Lorelai said taking a seat and shoving a piece of bacon in her mouth.

"Remind me to tell you that you said that," Luke said.

"Will do," she said as he set a plate of fluffy pancakes down in front of her.

"So there you go," Luke said. "Okay, you're up; you're fed; now I have to get to work." He leaned down and planted a succession of kisses on her lips before he pulled away.

"Wow, déjà vu," Lorelai said vaguely recalling a faint phantom memory. Lorelai stood up and pulled on Luke's arm before he started to leave. "Wait a minute. I want to ask you something."

"Okay," Luke said turning to face her.

"Okay," she took a deep breath before beginning to calm her nerves. "Remember how we had a talk about how you were going to buy the old Twickham place?"

"Vaguely," Luke lied.

"Well, we never really talked about it seriously. You made the deal without telling me and then you backed out without telling me and now--"

"Kirk owns the Twickham House, he gloats over it daily, I got it," Luke said cutting her off to make a long story short.

"I know that we decided to slow things down after my little marriage proposal," Lorelai continued. "But if you were seriously thinking about moving in together I was thinking maybe you could just move in here?"

"Here?" Luke clarified.

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "I know it's The Crap Shack, but it could be_ our_ Crap Shack. I've been thinking about it and this house is really important to me. It's the first big thing I've owned. Rory grew up here. You've fixed practically every door, window and sink in here so it's kind of like you're already emotionally attached to it."

"Emotionally attached to a house?" Luke asked skeptically.

"I mean it's like you're already a part of the house's history," Lorelai said. "Remember when you broke the back door lock? Wasn't that fun?"

Luke scanned the kitchen and then focused his eyes on Lorelai. "You're serious about this," he said as a statement more than question.

"I really am," Lorelai said confidently, surprising herself. When she proposed to Luke she wasn't quite sure how ready she was for the next step, but now she knew that she was ready for a future with Luke.

"The Crap Shack, huh?" he said. "You make it sound so classy."

"I should have gone into marketing, I know," Lorelai smiled.

Luke thought for a moment, but the minute she posed the question he knew what his answer would be. "Okay," he said simply.

"Yes?" Lorelai asked surprised.

"Sure, why not?" Luke said with a tiny grin. "You don't think Rory will mind though do you?"

"Rory doesn't live here anymore," Lorelai said turning her back and taking her seat at the table again.

"She'll be back," Luke insisted.

"Maybe," Lorelai grudgingly agreed. "She won't mind. She likes you. It's me who might have to relocate if she comes back."

"Okay," Luke said. "I have to get to the diner, but we'll talk about this later, figure out the details."

"We will," Lorelai grinned at him. Luke looked as though he was about to speak and Lorelai cut him off, "Cotton balls, Q-Tips and Connie Chung's original face." She suddenly and unexpectedly remembered the dream she'd had about Luke in vivid detail.

"What?"

"You were going to ask if I needed anything weren't you?" she asked.

"No, I was going to ask you to tell Babette not to catcall at me when I get the paper in the morning," he said with a puzzled look.

"Oh, well I'll see what I can do, but the woman has good taste," Lorelai said.

"I'll see you later," he replied.

"Count on it," Lorelai said as she watched Luke walk out the door. She curled up in her chair and smiled contently thinking about the prospect of Luke moving into her house. With the exception of Rory and her parents, Lorelai's personal life seemed to be falling into place quite nicely.

TBC


	9. The Talk

_Author's Note: Summer is flying and the premiere is soon upon us! I will try to write faster!_ :)

* * *

Chapter 9  
"The Talk"

Rory made her way down the familiar main street and noted that it hadn't changed. Although it had only been a little over a week since she'd moved in with her grandparents she somehow expected the little town she knew so well to look different. It certainly felt different to Rory. There was no reason that it should, yet it did. She crossed the square and made her way to her destination.

The little bell above the door clanged a familiar tone and Rory breathed deeply the smell of fries and cheese, with a hint of grease, the scent of Luke's Diner. She scanned the diner and noted that, as she'd hoped, the crowd was thin. Gypsy sat at the end of the counter finishing scrambled eggs and a man Rory didn't recognize sat in the corner reading the paper. Rory made her way over to the counter.

"Hi Gypsy," Rory said.

"Rory," Gypsy said looking over at her. "Are you finally home from school?"

"Uh, no," Rory replied. Had Lorelai simply told everyone that she wasn't finished with school yet? "I finished classes last week. I've been looking for a job in Hartford though so I'm staying with my grandparents."

"Well, we all knew you'd outgrow us eventually," Gypsy said with a smirk as she stood up. "When Luke comes back tell him the money is under the plate will you? Good to see you Rory."

"You too," she called as Gypsy left the diner. Rory wondered what she'd meant by her comment. 'They knew she'd outgrow Stars Hollow eventually.' Why had they thought that? Rory certainly didn't. Although, the situation being as it was, she wondered if maybe she hadn't grown restless with the town. She'd always found the festivals and fights endearing, but lately, she didn't feel as amused by the antics of the town.

Luke exited the kitchen without looking around the diner. "Hi Luke," Rory said startling him.

"Rory," he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" He was very surprised to see her given the events of Friday night dinner. "That came out wrong," he said taking a breath and walking over the counter. "I mean, how are you? Is everything okay? Is something wrong?"

"No, no, everything is fine," Rory said perching on a stool. "I just…" She wasn't sure how to approach the subject. She had questions for Luke, but she didn't know how to bring them up. Yes, he was dating her mother and yes, he had been in her life since she was roughly twelve, but starting the conversation seemed odd.

"I was hoping I could talk to you for a minute," Rory said finally.

"Sure," he replied taken aback. He wiped his hands on a rag that was lying on the counter until it became a compulsive action. Once he realized it he dropped the rag back on the counter. "Should we—do you want to talk somewhere private or this okay?"

Rory scanned the room. The only other person there was the man she didn't recognize, but even though it was quiet now, it didn't mean that Kirk couldn't enter at any given moment. Plus, Rory wasn't sure she wanted anyone to see her. If Lorelai found out that Rory had been in town without seeing her it might create more tension.

"If we could go upstairs that would be great," Rory said.

"Okay," Luke nodded. "Caesar, I'm going upstairs for a few minutes."

"Sure thing boss," Caesar called from the kitchen.

Luke gestured to Rory and she started to walk up the steps to his apartment. She felt a bit weird. She'd been in Luke's apartment many times with Jess, but this visit was nothing like that. She had set out to have very serious, very grown-up conversation with Luke and this felt much different.

"So," Luke said as he shut the door behind them. "Are you thirsty? Hungry? I don't have much up here right now. I haven't been to the market in a while."

"No, I'm fine," Rory said taking a seat at the kitchen table. "I was hoping I could talk to you about my Mom."

The words relieved and terrified Luke at the same time. He finally felt like there was something he could do about the situation between Lorelai and Rory, but at the same time he didn't have a clue how to fix it.

"Okay," Luke said taking a seat across from her at the table. "What can I help you with?"

"My grandparents were talking this morning and I kind of overheard their conversation," Rory admitted sheepishly. "I was listening to them through the door actually, but they seemed to be talking about you and my Mom."

Luke nodded and Rory continued.

"They seemed to think that you two were going to be getting married," Rory finally said. "I know, it's crazy and they're paranoid sometimes, but it made me wonder."

"If me and your mother really are getting married?" Luke clarified.

"Yes," Rory said quickly. Luke took a second to compose his thoughts, but Rory took it as a sign of avoidance and she stood up quickly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you that. It was a really personal question that you probably don't want to answer," she said hastily backing away from the table and toward the door. "I don't know why I came here to ask you that. It's just that things with me and my Mom are really weird right now and I couldn't believe that she wouldn't tell me something like this, so I came to talk to you. I'm sorry. It was a mistake."

"Rory wait," Luke said standing up. "Please don't leave." Rory stopped where she was, but instead of coming back to the table she just stood with her arms wrapped around her as she scuffed her foot against the floor. Luke thought she looked like she was a child again.

"That is a personal question," Luke admitted. "But I have no problem answering you. Lorelai and I are not engaged."

Rory finally looked up from the floor and looked Luke in the eyes. She could see he was telling her the truth. "Please, come sit?" he asked.

Rory finally gave up her position and came back to the table and took a seat. "But if you're not engaged then why do my grandparents think you are?" she asked Luke.

"I think what I said last night might have scared them," Luke replied with a sigh. He wasn't sure he should tell Rory about his conversation with Emily and Richard. He hadn't even told Lorelai about it, but that was more to avoid a fight. She didn't like to tell her parents many details about her personal life and he was worried she'd think he'd revealed too much, which was probably true.

"I'm going to tell you something that I haven't even told your mother," Luke began. "While the two of you were outside last night I had a chat with your grandparents. They were talking about_ things_ involving my relationship with your mother and I kind of snapped. I think they were still hoping I was a phase your mother was going through. I wanted to let them know I'm not."

"I'm sorry about the way they treat you," Rory said. "They're really not horrible people. They just have specific feelings on certain issues."

"It doesn't bother me anymore," Luke said. "I'm more concerned about how it affects your mother. Your grandparents have very definite plans for her future and they don't include me. I wanted them to know, and you too, that I care about your mother very much."

"I know, but why were they talking like you were engaged?" Rory asked.

Luke's face reddened slightly. He'd hoped she would just let it drop, but it seemed the journalist in her didn't die just because she'd dropped out of school. He really didn't want to be the one to tell her that Lorelai had proposed and he still hoped he could avoid it.

"Your mother and I talked about it," he said evasively.

"You talked about getting engaged," Rory said as a statement rather than a question.

"Yes," Luke replied.

"Did you ask her to marry you?" Rory asked.

"No," Luke replied honestly.

"But you talked about proposing?" Rory pressed.

"Actually your mother brought it up."

"_She_ brought it up?"

"Yes."

"That doesn't sound like her at all," Rory said to herself more than Luke. "What did she say?"

"I don't really remember," Luke lied. "She brought it up and we had a conversation about it. You should know that it was a serious talk though."

"So you're going to get engaged?" Rory asked.

"One day I hope so," Luke replied. "I hope that's okay with you. I know that it might a little weird because we've known each other for a while--"

"No, it's not weird," Rory reassured him by cutting him off. "I mean, it was a little at first, but now it's not. I don't think I've ever really seen my Mom this happy."

"I'm glad," Luke replied a little embarrassed.

"I think it's great, really," Rory said absently as she thought. "I'm just surprised that she was the one who brought up marriage. I guess I thought she would say something to me if she was thinking about getting married."

"You shouldn't feel left out or anything," Luke tried to explain. "The conversation was very spur of the moment. I don't even think she'd thought about it before she brought it up."

"But she still hasn't mentioned anything," Rory argued.

"Well you two have had a hard time talking to each other lately. I'm sure she just didn't know how to bring it up. Besides, the whole conversation was put on hold. We're more concerned about you right now. She wants to help you."

"I'm fine without her help. She thinks I'm making a mistake, but it's mine to make," Rory said a little insolently.

"I understand that," Luke offered. "You mother understands that you're old enough to make your own decisions too. I just don't really think she understands why you've decided to drop out of college when going to an Ivy League school was always your dream."

"Going to Harvard was always my dream," Rory corrected him.

"Is that the problem?" Luke asked. "If you went to Harvard would that make a difference?"

"No," Rory replied a little too forcefully. "I'm sorry, I just—I already explained this to her. She just has a problem with me making my own choices. Maybe we're too close. She feels like she needs to know every detail of my life."

"I could see how that could be a problem," Luke said quietly, giving Rory time to continue her thoughts.

"I mean, she didn't even tell me that she was thinking of getting married," Rory continued. "She doesn't tell me everything, why should I have to justify my actions to her?"

"I think this is all just a little sudden for her," Luke tried to defend Lorelai. "Between the boat situation and dropping of college and then moving in with your grandparents--"

"She told me if I dropped out I couldn't come home," Rory cut him off. "What was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Luke admitted honestly. "I think she was just surprised by everything. She didn't know about the internship. Maybe if she'd known things weren't going well she'd have been more prepared."

"I thought things were going well until that night," Rory said. "I thought I was doing a good job until Mr. Huntzberger pulled me aside."

"And you don't think he might have had other motives for telling you what he did?" Luke tried to ask gently.

"Of course not," Rory replied aghast. "But why should I expect you to take my side right? You're always on her side."

Luke knew he had to tread lightly now. He didn't want to alienate Rory, but he did want to try to help mend her relationship with Lorelai if he could.

"I wouldn't say I'm always on her side," Luke said recalling a few times when he vehemently disagreed with Lorelai, most infamously, the car accident involving Rory and Jess. "I just want to fix things between you and your mother if I can. I'd like to try to explain to her your side of things."

"I doubt she'd want to listen," Rory said pouting again.

"I think she might surprise you," Luke said. "She wants to make things right between you Rory. I know it might not seem like it right now, but she does."

Rory stared at Luke for a moment. An awkward silence ensued as neither knew what to say next. Rory didn't fully believe that her mother cared to make things right between them. She suddenly felt very foolish and out of things to say.

"I shouldn't have come here," Rory said suddenly. "I'm sorry I bothered you Luke."

She stood quickly and made her way over to the door before Luke realized she was abruptly ending their conversation. He stood up and followed her as quickly as he could.

"Rory, wait, please don't go," he said. "I really want to help you and your mother to work this out."

"I appreciate that," Rory said sincerely. "But there's really nothing you can do. This is between me and her."

"Why don't you stop by for dinner sometime this week? The two of you could talk a little more," Luke suggested hastily as Rory cracked the apartment door open. It was apparent that she was planning to leave very soon.

"I don't think so," Rory declined his offer. "I really do hope things work out for you and my mom. You make her happy."

"She makes me pretty happy too," Luke said fully aware that this conversation was ending. He decided to add, "Hey, if you ever need anything or you just need someone to talk to, you know you can talk to me." He shuffled his feet, slightly embarrassed. He wasn't the emotional type and he never quite knew how to articulate his feelings.

"Thanks," Rory replied. She was touched by his offer and also slightly amused by the crimson shade his cheeks turned. "I'll see you around Luke."

Luke watched Rory as she bounded down the steps as fast as she could. Once again that feeling of helplessness crept into his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to fix what was broken between Rory and Lorelai, but after the conversation he had with Rory he realized that he was utterly clueless as to how to help. Luke scratched the back of his head and sighed as he shut the apartment door. He needed a moment to think before he went back to work.

Rory made her way quickly down the steps in an attempt to evade getting involved in another conversation with Luke. She thought that visiting him and discovering the true nature of his relationship with her mother would help, but it didn't. Instead Rory felt even more lost and alone. It was clear that their relationship had progressed to a point where even Luke was thinking about marriage and Rory was completely out of the loop. Of course it didn't help that she also felt guilty for being angry about it. Luke seemed genuinely happy and she felt like a heel for her anger. She sighed as she made her way to her car. Whatever happened, she knew she was going to have to face it alone.

TBC


	10. Moving In, Moving On

_Chapter 10  
"Moving In, Moving On"_

"Hey," Lorelai said with a mischievous smile on her face. Luke had just returned from work and she was more than a little excited to see him. She had been working out the details of moving in together and she was anxious to show him how simple her plan would be.

"Hi," he said, happy to see her, but his voice had a hint of trepidation. He wasn't sure if he should tell her about Rory's visit right away. Ultimately he decided to keep mum until he could gauge her mood.

"Come," she said walking over to him and taking him by the hand. Lorelai led Luke into the living room where he noticed an easel with a board covered by a sheet. "Sit," Lorelai commanded pointing to the couch.

"What's this?" he asked pointing to the covered easel.

"You'll see," Lorelai grinned again. It was obvious that she was excited about her little presentation so Luke obeyed her command and sat on the couch facing her. He saw a familiar gleam in her eye and he knew that she was completely happy in that moment. Her boundless energy seemed to radiate and made him feel a certain amount of excitement. Luke wasn't a father and hadn't been around many children, but he was certain that Lorelai had all the mirth of a five-year-old.

"Okay," Luke said. "I'm here, I'm sitting, what are you waiting to show me?" He tried to keep his usual gruff tone, but her smile wouldn't allow it.

"Okay," she said taking her place next to the covered easel. "I'm sure you remember our little chat this morning."

"About Q-tips?" Luke teased her.

"No," she said holding in her exasperation.

"Connie Chung's face?" Luke tried again knowing full well he was baiting her.

"You're not funny," she replied warningly.

"Oh, are you talking about moving in together?"

"Of course I am!" she said excitedly. "Now, I was thinking about this for most of the day and when I came home I whipped up this little chart to show you how easy it would be for you to move in here."

Lorelai quickly pulled the sheet off of the easel and Luke finally got an eyeful of her surprise. It was a large poster board complete with photos and diagrams of Luke's apartment and Lorelai's house. She had cut out a picture of his face and drew him a stick figure body. Lorelai herself was also represented in the same manner on the poster board except her body was pink and Luke's was blue.

"You have way too much free time," Luke said as he stood up and walked over to the poster board. "What's this?" he asked looking at an assortment of stickers that appeared to be moving items labeled 'Luke's hats', 'flannel shirts', 'kitchen supplies' and more.

"Oh," Lorelai said leaning on his shoulder to peer at what he was pointing at. "Those stickers represent our moving crew."

"A crown, a piano, a cat, a ballet shoe, the French flag, an apple, a chef hat and a question mark?" Luke asked puzzled.

"Well I didn't have time to cut out everyone's heads so I had to improvise. Those stickers represent people who would help us move," Lorelai explained.

"Okay, the chef hat has to be Sookie," Luke reasoned. "The apple is Jackson? The French flag is Michel, but after that, I'm out."

"The ballet shoe is Miss Patty," Lorelai explained happily. "The piano and cat are Morey and Babette. The apple _is_ Jackson and the crown is Taylor because he likes to think he lords over us all."

She smiled smugly at Luke and he grinned back briefly. She really did amuse herself sometimes.

"So the question mark must be Kirk," Luke guessed correctly.

"Who else?" Lorelai smiled.

"And all these people are carrying my stuff because?"

"Because it will be easier to move with everyone helping us," Lorelai said.

"I don't think so," Luke replied. "I don't want Taylor touching my stuff and Kirk will not be allowed within 100 feet of my underwear drawer."

Lorelai patted Luke's back gently. "Don't worry sweetie," she said. "No one touches your underwear except me." She gave him a pointed grin and Luke calmed a bit. "See," she said pointing to the map she had drawn, "with their help I can't imagine it would take more than a day to move your stuff here."

"What's this?" Luke said looking at a fluffy piece of fabric that was attached to something that almost concealed another photo of his face and Lorelai's.

"That's our new comforter," Lorelai stated as if it were obvious. "I figured we'll be saving money on a mortgage so we can buy a new one. We're all snuggly in it, see?"

"I see that," Luke chuckled as he looked over the board one more time. He suddenly noticed that Lorelai had a few items in the room off the kitchen. It contained a bed pushed into the corner, a sewing machine and a dress mannequin. "Isn't this Rory's room?" Luke asked.

Lorelai stopped leaning on his shoulder and turned away. "Yeah," she said suddenly not at all joyful.

"Your sewing stuff is in there," Luke observed. "Isn't she going to need room to sleep?"

"There's a bed in there," Lorelai defended herself. "Besides, she's probably not ever coming back anyway."

Luke turned in shock at her words. Lorelai was a fighter. She didn't give up on anything, even a lost cause. He tried to look her in the eye but she was suddenly very busy fluffing the couch cushions. "So what do you think of the plan?" she said trying to brighten. "Do you think it's doable?"

"Yeah I do," Luke said gently. "I think we need to talk about Rory's room though."

"Hmm," Lorelai said as if she were thinking it over. "I don't."

"I do," Luke insisted.

"I don't," Lorelai replied more forcefully. "She's over it Luke. She isn't talking anymore and neither am I."

"She doesn't want this," Luke said.

"How would you know?" she asked rather haughtily.

"She came to see me today," Luke replied simply.

"What?" Lorelai said shocked. "She was in town? She came to see you?"

"Yes," Luke said.

"And you're just getting around to telling me this now?" Lorelai said suddenly angry.

"Yes."

"What did she want?"

"She wanted to know some things about us."

"About us?" Lorelai said puzzled. "What about us?"

"She wanted to know how serious things were between us," Luke said. He suddenly realized that he didn't want to reveal how Rory knew things had gotten more serious so he decided to continue by saying, "She noticed that we seemed different at dinner last night."

"And she came to you instead of me to find out what was going on," Lorelai said irritated.

"She thought we might be engaged," Luke continued.

"And again I say, she came to you instead of me to find out what was going on? What did you tell her?"

"I told her that we weren't engaged, but that the subject had come up," Luke replied honestly. "I told her that I thought we were headed in that direction."

"Unbelievable," Lorelai muttered. "What did she say?"

"She wondered why you hadn't told her as much," Luke said.

"Gee let me think," Lorelai said sarcastically as she threw down a pillow and folded her arms across her chest. "Maybe it's because she's gotten into a habit of leaving me out of the loop lately."

"Lorelai," Luke said more sternly than he'd intended. "I think," he measured his words carefully; "I think that she misses you and she was hurt when she thought you were making a decision like marriage without her."

"Well thank you for that analysis Dr. Phil," Lorelai said in full sarcasm mode. "And what else did you say to her?"

"I told her that you only wanted what was best for her," Luke replied.

"Well how about if you let me speak for myself next time?" Lorelai said turning her anger on him.

"What was I supposed to do, refuse to speak to her? She came to me. I owed her an answer," Luke said.

"Do you have to keep rubbing it in that she went to you?" Lorelai turned away from him and tried to mask the hurt she felt. First Rory ran to her parents and now she was running to Luke. Lorelai wondered how long it would be before she turned Sookie or anyone besides her.

Luke sighed and sensed the gravity of the situation. "I'm sorry that she came to me instead of you," Luke said making his way over to her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "But, don't you think it's a positive sign that she came to one of us? She obviously doesn't want to shut you out of her life. She had to have known I'd tell you."

Lorelai shrugged off Luke's hands and turned to face him. "I don't know," she said. "The only thing I do know is that my daughter has shut me completely out of her life. She turned to my parents, she turned to you, she's probably talked to half of Hartford about all this and she refuses to talk to me."

"I know you're upset," Luke started to say.

"Please," Lorelai sighed and put up her hand to stop him. "Don't. I don't want to hear how she'll come around and I don't want to hear how it'll work out because from where I'm standing it won't."

"If you just give Rory a chance to calm down and think things through," Luke tried again.

"Since you have nothing to do with this would you please stop telling me how to raise my kid?" Lorelai snapped at him. Lorelai regretted the words the moment the left her lips. She was angry at Rory and the situation and she was taking it out on Luke.

"I have nothing to do with this?" Luke snapped back. "So the fact that you want to get married and move in together means nothing to you. I'm just a warm body that cooks you breakfast and fixes your sink, except now you'll have the bonus of me living here?"

"That's not how I meant it," Lorelai struggled to find the words to tell him that he did mean something to her. At that moment he meant everything to her, but she couldn't articulate it. She paused for a moment and Luke sighed.

"That's it," he said. "I'm outta here."

"Luke, wait," Lorelai said as she followed him into the kitchen. "I didn't mean that."

"Then what did you mean?" Luke asked her seriously as he turned quickly to face her, one hand on the door.

"I mean that Rory is my daughter," Lorelai struggled.

"Thank you for pointing that out," Luke shot.

"I mean she's not your responsibility. She's mine and it hurts that she feels comfortable coming to you and not me," Lorelai said.

"Aside from picking up Q-tips and dividing up the laundry and cooking, what does marriage mean to you?" he asked seriously.

Lorelai was taken aback by his question and she shook her head slightly as if to question why he wanted to know.

"Well I'll tell you what it means to me," he said before Lorelai responded. "It means sharing the really great times and the really crappy ones. It means spending your life with the one person who irritates you to the point of insanity, yet you love them anyway. And it means not compartmentalizing your life anymore. You can't have a compartment for work and home and family because it all melts together and we have to share the burden. I don't think you're ready for that. Yes, Rory is your daughter, but I don't think of it that way. If she needs my help or advice I'm going to give it to her. Because I'm with you, she becomes my responsibility."

Lorelai looked at him for a moment and while she was touched by his mini-rant she felt her eyes narrow. "I appreciate that," Lorelai said. "But I'm not compartmentalizing anything. Rory is my daughter and I'll deal with it in my own way."

"Even if you're making a mistake?" Luke asked.

"Who are you to tell me it's a mistake?" she asked getting upset again.

"Someone who cares about you," Luke said. "You're starting to shut her out. That isn't like you. And why are you really mad at me? Are you made because Rory came to talk to me over you, or are you made because Rory broke out of the drawer you put her in?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lorelai said aghast.

"It means that you mentally divide your entire life. You have a Rory drawer and a Luke drawer, a Stars Hollow drawer and a Hartford drawer. You separate everything and when things don't stay isolated you get upset. Are you mad at me because Rory came to see me or are you mad because the Luke drawer and Rory drawer collided?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Lorelai scoffed.

"Maybe not, but it's something we both need to think about," Luke said.

Luke turned and walked toward the door while Lorelai stood and tried to decipher what he'd just said. She didn't place her life in drawers. She could roll with the punches as well as anyone. She walked over to the door, which Luke had left slightly ajar and slammed it shut. Luke was wrong. Lorelai wasn't jealous that Rory went to see him, she was just angry. She wanted to put Rory in her room until she behaved like the wonderful child she knew so well. But Lorelai knew Rory wasn't going to her room. She wasn't five anymore. She was an adult and she was making adult decision. That, above all else, was what scared Lorelai the most. Her level-headed, rational daughter had suddenly become a whimsical, emotional woman. She had finally become Lorelai.

TBC


	11. Distress and Canadian Mounties

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews!

* * *

_Chapter 11  
_"_Distress and Canadian Mounties"_

It had been a week since Rory's visit to Luke's. In that time she had interviewed at the law firm and she was an official clerk at the offices of Jameson and Wagner. She had been there only three days before she realized how monotonous filing briefs could be. She decided roughly 36 hours into her new job that she wasn't cut out for law. She had always considered herself a smart person, but the style of writing scarcely made sense to her. She hoped she would pick up on the jargon eventually, but she was secretly counting down the days until the end of the internship.

Rory arrived back at the pool house to find Emily perched on the sofa waiting for her. "Grandma," Rory said surprised.

"Rory, I'm glad you're home," Emily said placing the magazine she was reading on the table. "I was hoping we could have dinner tonight. We've hardly seen you since you started the new job. Your grandfather and I were hoping to catch up with you this evening."

Rory dropped her bag on the couch and kicked off her heels. Emily watched in horror as Rory walked through the kitchen in her stocking feet. "I appreciate the invitation," Rory said as she grabbed a bottle of water. "But I have plans with Logan tonight."

"Oh," Emily replied trying to hide her disappointment. "You've seen him quite a bit this week."

"Yeah," Rory said. "He's going to Mexico with some friends next week so we've been spending a little more time together."

"Mexico," Emily repeated. "Well that sounds exciting. Is he going for work or school?"

"No, just vacation," Rory replied taking a seat across from her grandmother.

"Oh," Emily said. "Well do you have a minute now? I was curious about the internship. How is it going?"

"It's fine," Rory struggled to make her answer sound interesting. "I've been organizing some files for a big case their working on this fall."

"Well they love you," Emily informed Rory. "In fact Judy Nelson was just telling me that they've never had an intern with no law experience take so well to the process."

"Great," Rory nodded lifting her feet and tucking them under her body in the chair. "I'm glad."

"So do you think law might be something you're interested in?" Emily asked hopefully.

"Well I've only been there a few days," Rory reminded her. "I'm not really sure yet. I think I might have to learn a bit more about it before I commit to anything."

"Oh," Emily replied not hiding her disappointment. "Well you'll keep me posted?"

"Of course," Rory smiled as Emily stood.

"You know, I couldn't help but notice that with work and the time you've been spending with Logan that you haven't had much time to clean. I could send Constance over if you'd like," Emily offered. "She might be able to tidy up a bit."

"Thanks Grandma," Rory said. "But who is Constance? I thought the maid's name was Janet."

"Please," Emily waved her hand dismissively. "She quit two days ago citing something about emotional breakdown and mental distress. Some people are just ill-equipped to function in life."

Rory suppressed a giggle. "That's okay Grandma," Rory replied finally. "I've got it under control."

"Alright," Emily said skeptically. "I'm having a few friends from the Hartford Opera House come over tomorrow afternoon just in case you see more cars than usual." Rory knew this was her grandmother's passive aggressive way of telling her that the pool house had to be cleaned for the occasion.

"No problem," Rory said. "I'll be sure to have all this put away before tomorrow."

"Thank you," Emily smiled. "Have fun with Logan tonight."

"I will," Rory smiled as Emily exited the pool house. It seemed that Emily's visits to the pool house were becoming a bit more frequent. Rory had begun to mentally inventory what she had to hide before she left the house in the morning. Logan's t-shirt, which he'd left under the couch, was the most important item as of late. She made a mental note to return it to him that evening so she wouldn't have to worry about Emily finding it. Rory took a sip of water and stood up to get to work on cleaning.

Emily walked back to the house slightly perturbed. She got the impression that Rory was not much impressed with her internship opportunity. Furthermore, she was distressed to learn that she would be out with Logan again for the fourth night in a row. Emily felt she was seeing shades of Lorelai in Rory and she wasn't sure what to do about it. Obviously whatever she'd done with Lorelai hadn't worked and she didn't want to fall into the same trap.

"Is Rory joining us for dinner?" Richard asked when Emily returned.

"No," Emily sighed. "She has plans with Logan again."

"Hmm," Richard said. "Well they're much younger than we are Emily. I'm sure gallivanting about the town on week days doesn't faze the young."

"It's the fourth night in a row," Emily reminded him. "All she does is work and go out with Logan. I'm worried about this Richard."

"What would you have us do about it Emily? Rory is not a child. She's simply asserting her independence."

"I don't remember you being so calm about all of this when Lorelai was climbing out her bedroom window."

"Rory is not Lorelai," Richard said a little exasperated. "Besides, Rory is twenty years old, not fifteen. She's a smart girl. I'm sure she's just trying to find her way."

"Why doesn't this bother you?" Emily said narrowing her eyes at him. "I recall that when Rory spent her time with that Dean boy you didn't like it so much."

"Logan Huntzberger is no mechanic hoodlum," Richard said. "He's a good boy with a very well-known family. I'm sure that Rory is just fine with him."

"Christopher was also a good boy with a good family," Emily reminded him.

"What is this about Emily?" Richard sighed.

"I went along with this plan of yours because you were so confident in it, but now I'm not so sure. I see Rory working because it's what we asked of her, but I don't see her looking into other opportunities. I see her spending a good portion of the week with Logan like she's a love-sick teenager."

"You told me that they love her down at the law firm. You told me they said she took to it like a duck to water," Richard reminded her. "I don't see the problem. Maybe she likes it there."

"She doesn't," Emily replied curtly.

"Did she tell you that?" Richard asked her.

"No, but I can tell," Emily said. "You're giving her more slack than we ever gave Lorelai."

"Rory is a good girl," Richard said solemnly. "She wouldn't throw her future away carelessly."

"Lorelai made a mistake Richard," Emily said. "She didn't set out to destroy her life or the hopes we had for her future. I don't believe she set out to get pregnant at fifteen just to spite us. I'm worried that Rory is making decisions she'll regret and you're looking the other way."

"I don't think Lorelai purposely destroyed her life," Richard shouted. "But I also think that she had a careless disregard for the decisions she was making at the time. Rory isn't reckless like Lorelai. She makes decisions with her mind, not her emotions."

"I went along with this because you and Rory assured me that you had everything under control," Emily said calmly. "If I don't see any improvements in Rory's plans soon I might have to come up with a plan of my own."

"Everything will work out just fine Emily," Richard lowered his voice and reassured her.

"I hope you're right," Emily said as she exited the kitchen. She pondered the conversation and quickly realized that she was seeing things from Lorelai's point of view much more than before. She seriously wondered if maybe Richard hadn't made a mistake. She usually let him do the planning and the thinking, but this time she wasn't so sure he'd been correct.

It had been a week since Luke stormed out of Lorelai's house and they had been avoiding each other since. It wasn't a fight so drastic that either of them thought they were going to break up, but neither made the effort to talk to the other. Luke gruffly served his customers at the diner and Lorelai made plans to expand the stable area at the inn. It wasn't until Lorelai was at the gas station filling up that she realized she hadn't spoken to Luke in a week. She paid for her fuel and noticed a collection of crappy cassettes by the register, including reggae, and she thought of immediately. She picked up her cell phone to call and mock him mercilessly when she realized that they weren't speaking. It was then that she made a decision.

"Michel," she said when he answered the phone. "I won't be back today. Can you handle things for a few hours until the night crew gets there?"

"You ask me this as if I have not covered for you almost everyday for the last 10 years," Michel said curtly into the phone.

"Wow, I'll have to remember to tell Mike about your attitude and willingness to help out with a smile," Lorelai said taunting him. She hadn't gotten around to telling Michel that she had no intention of selling the inn. It was too much fun to use the thought of new owners to get Michel to behave.

"Mike? Mike Armstrong?" Michel said panicked. "Lorelai are you selling the inn or not? I cannot live like this, under this constant threat of unemployment."

"So you can handle everything there then?" Lorelai asked sweetly.

"Of course, everything is under control," Michel assured her. "You know I am a very hard-working, competent employee."

"Yes Michel, I know," Lorelai said. "I'll be in tomorrow morning. Don't worry. Have a good night," she said.

"Lorelai, wait," Michel yelled into the phone as she clasped it shut with a smile. It might be slightly unfeeling, but she loved to play with Michel as much as humanly possible.

Lorelai turned out of the gas station and drove home with an idea and a limited time frame. She knew Luke usually like to close earlier on Friday and she wanted to be sure to get there before he closed up for the night. Three hours later she arrived at the diner happy to find Luke washing down the counter.

"Hi," she said as she struggled to get in the door with her arms full.

"Hi," Luke said dropping the rag and walking over to help her as she struggled. Luke picked up the large, wrapped package and walked over to the counter in silence. It was a strange feeling. They weren't officially fighting, yet they weren't on speaking terms either.

"So how have you been?" Lorelai asked as she perched herself on the stool.

"Good," Luke replied slowly. "Things have been good."

"Good," Lorelai nodded.

"How have you been?" Luke asked.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "I mean I guess I've been okay in the whole not really okay at all way." She gave him a sad look and continued, "We haven't talked."

"Yeah I noticed that too," Luke replied.

"I was at the gas station today and I saw this tape called _Reggie the Reggae King_ and I was going to call you to see if you had it and then I remembered we hadn't really talked since last week and it made me sad."

"You were going to call and mock my taste in music you mean," Luke corrected her in an attempt to make light.

"Of course," Lorelai said with a small smile. "I knew you probably missed that about me. See, the thing is, I wasn't mad at you about the Rory thing. I guess I was a little jealous of you. Obviously Rory felt more comfortable going to see you than she did coming to see me. That was a little hard for me to take."

"I know that," Luke said. "I didn't want you to feel that way. I was glad Rory came to me, but I knew it might cause some problems for you."

"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did," Lorelai said.

"I shouldn't have said what I did about you shutting me out," Luke said.

"No, I think you had a point," Lorelai conceded.

"You do?"

"Don't look so surprised. I thought about it and I was jealous that she went to you, but it also kind of freaked me out. I think it's great that Rory feels comfortable going to you for things like that, or for anything really. It just might take some getting used to. I guess I'm just not used to having someone who will be there for me and Rory in that way. So, with that said," Lorelai explained as she pushed the large package in Luke's direction, "this is for you."

"What is it?" Luke asked looking at the large object that was hastily wrapped.

"A homemade pipe bomb," Lorelai said sarcastically. "Open it and find out."

Luke shot her a look of love and exasperation and he opened the present. Inside the awkwardly wrapped package was a dresser drawer, but the drawer itself contained a multitude of objects from Lorelai's house. There were baby pictures of Lorelai and Rory, the deed to her Jeep, Rory's college acceptance letters, the title to the Dragonfly Inn, an old Luke's menu, Luke's old baseball hat and more.

"What's all this?" Luke asked trying to be sure he understood Lorelai's gesture.

"It's my Luke drawer," Lorelai said. "You said I compartmentalize my life and I wanted to show you that I'm going to try to change that. Now the Luke drawer has full access to the Rory drawer, the work drawer, the home drawer, everything."

"What's this?" Luke said picking up a small bag filled with rocks.

"Oh, that symbolizes all my parent's hope and dreams for me," she grinned. "Heavy isn't it? Just remember you wanted to be included in the family drawer."

Luke leaned over and kissed Lorelai squarely on the mouth before she could continue her rant. His hand reached up and brushed her cheek lightly.

"Thank you," he said when he finally pulled away.

"You like it?" Lorelai asked.

"I love it," he confirmed. "And I love you for coming up with such a crazy, symbolic message."

"Well I know how much you enjoy props," Lorelai replied with a laugh.

Luke continued to dig through the drawer, which was much deeper than he imagined. He suddenly saw a piece of what looked like beige felt and glanced up at Lorelai. "Tell me this isn't what I think it is," he said.

Lorelai peered over the top of the box and grinned. "It's exactly what you think it is," she replied seriously.

Luke reached both hands into the box and pulled out a souvenir Canadian Mountie hat. "A Mountie hat?" he asked.

"What, I thought you liked props?" Lorelai grinned wicked. She fully expected the conversation to end there and Luke suddenly stood up and walked over to the diner door and locked it tight before he switched off the lights. The only light came from the illuminated street lights outside and he walked back over to the counter.

"Come on," Luke said removing his baseball cap and tossing it behind the counter.

"Where are we going?" Lorelai asked.

Luke reached over and picked up the Mountie hat, placing it firmly on his head. "By order of the Royal Canadian Mounties it's my duty to detain you ma'am," he said completely seriously.

Lorelai chuckled for a moment before she realized that he was serious. "What's the charge?' Lorelai said playing along.

"Aside from having the weirdest fantasy this side of the Mississippi?" Luke mocked her.

"I knew you'd look good in it," she grinned as he took her by the hand and pulled her toward the steps.

"So does this mean I should start boxing up my stuff and start moving?" Luke asked as they made their way up the steps.

"Everything but the Mountie hat," Lorelai replied.

As they reached the door to Luke's apartment he pushed her up against the wall and kissed her long and hard on the lips. Lorelai returned his kiss hungrily and pulled his body closer to hers.

"You got it," Luke replied gruffly before Lorelai opened the door to his apartment and he backed her through the archway before kicking the door closed with his foot.

TBC


	12. Tension and Meetings

_Author's Note: Thank you again for the reviews. I still don't own Gilmore Girls.

* * *

_

_Chapter 12  
"Tension and Meetings"_

"Hey," Rory said as Logan opened the door to his apartment.

"Hey Ace," he replied as he ushered her through the door. "I thought you were coming over earlier."

"That was the plan," Rory said taking a seat on the couch. "My Grandma stopped by unannounced."

"Again?" Logan asked.

"Yeah," Rory said. "Unfortunately it's becoming more of a habit than I thought."

"You know," Logan said slowly as he sat down next to her. "You could always stay here if life in the pool house is a little too close."

Rory was taken aback by Logan's offer. She hadn't expected it at all. "Wow," Rory said aloud. "Thank you. I can't accept it, but it's more than appreciated that you offered."

"No problem Ace," Logan said leaning forward casually to grab the television remote control. "I know how it is when you just want to be left alone and people get in the way."

"Well I don't want to be left alone exactly," Rory said.

"Oh come on. First your Mom didn't back your decision to leave school, now your grandparents are all over you like you owe them something," Logan said a bit heatedly.

"They're not all over me," Rory replied timidly.

"You're just trying to figure things out on your own. Don't they get that you're an adult? You can make your own decisions without someone there to hold your hand and give you approval."

"Logan," Rory said a bit more forcefully. "They're not all over me. But are you okay? It seems like you're projecting a little."

"I'm fine," Logan scoffed. "I just think it's ridiculous that your family and my family continue to pick us apart like we're not living up to their expectations. Hovering over us every minute of the day isn't going to force us to be who they want us to be."

"Did you have a fight with your Dad or something?" Rory asked. She'd never really seen Logan get very heated about the topic of her family. She figured something must have happened to bring on his anti-family mood.

"No, my Dad had a 'talk' with me today," Logan replied using air quotes. "He still doesn't think I'm living up to my potential. Now, with this boat incident he threatened to cut me off."

"I'm so sorry," Rory said reaching out and rubbing his back slightly.

"Yeah, me too," Logan replied. "Your grandparents think stealing a boat was some sort of irresponsible prank. My Father thinks it's a sign of a dangerous pattern developing," he continued adopting a deep tone to imitate Mitchum.

"You don't really think he'll cut you off do you?"

"I don't know," Logan said suddenly very sullen. "I've never seen him like that. He seemed pretty serious."

"Maybe once you get back from Mexico he'll have had time to cool down."

"There is no Mexico Rory," Logan said a little angrily as he stood up. "All my credit cards are gone and now I have to go to the house to get a weekly allowance. It's my parent's chance to check up on my, like a weekly progress report or something."

"I'm so sorry," Rory said again. "I feel like this is all my fault. If I hadn't have taken that boat--"

"If you hadn't have taken the boat, I'd have found some other way to misbehave and incur my Father's wrath," Logan finished for her. "I'm sure Finn would have been involved somehow."

"What can I do? I want to make this better," Rory said.

"There's nothing you can do," Logan replied settling back in on the couch next to her. "We just have to wait this out. My hearing is next week, how about yours?"

"Yep, next week," Rory replied glumly resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Your grandparents didn't want to use my lawyer?" Logan asked.

"No, they wanted to arrange it themselves," Rory said.

"You really should have them call Brandon," Logan persisted. "He's the best at what he does. Trust me, I know from experience."

"Thanks, but I'm sure it will be fine. This guy is a friend of my Grandpa's from way back."

"Rory I really think--"

"It'll be fine," Rory said cutting him off.

For the remainder of the evening Logan and Rory just sat in silence pretending to watch the television. Every so often Logan would laugh, but it seemed forced, as if he were willing himself to enjoy the night. Rory allowed herself a grin or chuckle every so often, but inside she was thinking about nothing but the upcoming hearing and her colossal mistake. Around eleven Logan walked Rory to her car and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips before she left for the night. It was one of the most awkward, lonely nights she'd spent with anyone in a very long time.

* * *

Luke awoke to sound of an upbeat, annoying chirp and he scanned the room for the device that chirped incessantly. He turned to see Lorelai still in a deep sleep under the covers next to him. The noise continued and Luke realized that it was coming from Lorelai's cell phone, which was buried under a heap of clothing and a Canadian Mountie hat. He finally fumbled through the pile and found the phone.

"Hello?" he said hoarsely.

"Who is this?" the voice on the other end demanded.

"Luke Danes, who is this?" he replied suddenly realizing that he knew the voice.

"It's Emily Gilmore," she replied curtly. "I'm looking for my daughter."

"Sure," Luke said tiredly. "Hold on one minute Emily."

Luke padded back over to the bed and nudged Lorelai as he lay down next to her again. "Lorelai," he said. "Wake up."

Lorelai heard Luke's voice, but in response she just grumbled something incoherent. "Lorelai," Luke tried again as he closed his eyes. "Your Mom is on the phone."

"Huh?" Lorelai said slowly waking.

"Mom, phone," Luke said tapping her arm with the cell phone.

Lorelai was finally in the land of the conscious and her eyes snapped open when Luke's words finally made sense.

"Why?" Lorelai cried softly. "Why did you answer it?"

"The incessant beeping was driving me insane," Luke said sleepily. "Here."

Lorelai took the phone from him and propped herself up with her chin on Luke's chest as she placed his arm around her.

"Hello?" she said.

"Did I interrupt something?" Emily asked.

"Yes, my well-deserved sleep," Lorelai replied as she looked at the clock and noted the time. "It's seven o'clock! Mom, it is seven o'clock on a Saturday morning. Why are you calling me at seven o'clock on Saturday morning? Is Rory okay? Is she hurt?"

"Rory is fine," Emily replied casually. "If you didn't want to be disturbed you should have turned off your cell phone."

"I forgot it was on," Lorelai replied fully awake after her adrenaline started pumping. "What do you need?"

"I want to talk to you," Emily said.

"You're talking right now."

"I want to have a proper meeting with you."

"I don't."

"Lorelai, I know you're not too happy with me right now, but there are things we need to discuss," Emily insisted.

"Does it have anything to do with you talking Rory into going back to Yale? Because if not, then we have nothing to talk about."

"Can we meet for lunch today?' Emily asked.

"Did you not hear me Mom?"

"I heard you," Emily replied. "I want to talk about the hearing. It's next week."

"Rory's hearing is next week?" Lorelai asked. "Why didn't anyone say anything sooner? When is it?"

"On Wednesday at ten o'clock," Emily replied.

"You're kidding me? You're kidding me right?" Lorelai asked.

"No I am not kidding you," Emily said.

"I can't go," Lorelai said sitting up and pulling the sheet with her. Luke finally reopened his eyes and sat up next to her.

"What do you mean you can't go?" Emily said.

"It means that I have a huge meeting scheduled with the architect and the bank and heating and cooling people and I can't cancel it. Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Lorelai said agitated. Luke reached over and rubbed her shoulder gently to try to calm her down. Not knowing what she was agitated about it was hard for him to know if comfort was what she needed.

"I thought Rory would have told you," Emily replied surprised. "She didn't say anything?"

"No, Mom, she didn't," Lorelai replied.

"That's very unlike her," Emily said aloud, even though she meant to keep that comment internal.

"Yeah, it is," Lorelai scoffed. "Kind of like everything else in her life lately."

"Lorelai, can we please meet for lunch today?" Emily asked again.

"I'm really busy," Lorelai said.

"Please," Emily said a bit forcefully. "I'll come to Stars Hollow. It won't take longer than an hour."

"Fine," Lorelai sighed feeling tired and tense. "One o'clock at the Dragonfly?"

"Thank you," Emily said. "I'll see you then."

"Fine," Lorelai replied as she hung up the phone. She looked at Luke who was watching her expectantly. "Why did you answer the phone?"

"What happened?" Luke asked.

"Well, because it's seven in the morning on a Saturday I didn't have my excuse file ready and I got roped into having lunch with my mother. In addition, I just found out that Rory's hearing is next Wednesday and I can't go because I'm having a first year walk-through with about a dozen people at the inn."

"There's no way to change it?" Luke asked.

"No," Lorelai sighed and she rested her head on Luke's chest again. "It took me about three weeks of coordinating to get this meeting scheduled. There's no way I can reschedule."

"Can I go for to the meeting for you? Or can I go to court for you?" Luke asked trying to be helpful.

"I love you for offering, but no," Lorelai said.

"Well if you change your mind," Luke said.

"I know where to find you," Lorelai affirmed.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked concerned.

"I will be," she replied. After a moment of laying in comfortable silence she added, "Hey, why are you here? Caesar doesn't usually open on Saturday."

"I called him and asked if he'd mind," Luke replied.

"You were so sure you were getting lucky last night?" Lorelai replied.

"Let's just say, if you hadn't shown up at the diner I would have been at your door last night."

"Ooh, with a boom box playing In Your Eyes full blast outside my window?" Lorelai asked hopefully.

"All night until my arms got tired of holding it over my head," Luke placated her.

"That's why you're the best boyfriend in the whole world," Lorelai said snuggling into his chest. "So, let me get this straight. It's seven in the morning on a Saturday and we're both awake with no place to go for several hours. What to do? What to do?" Lorelai let her fingers wander playfully around Luke's chest and forearm.

"Hmm, I don't know," Luke pretended to be puzzled.

"I think that Mountie hat is calling your name," Lorelai said as she leaned in to kiss him.

"It's really that much of a turn on?" Luke chuckled as he nipped playfully at her lips.

"What can I say, I'm a sucker for a man in uniform," Lorelai grinned as Luke planted small kissed down her neck and up and down her collar bone.

"Your wish is my command," Luke said reached down and retrieving the hat from the floor. They spent the next two hours curled up together as if the outside world had stopped. Lorelai realized that lately it seemed that whenever she was with Luke she felt at ease and happy. She wasn't consumed with worry or guilty or stress over Rory, her parents or work. She was simply content in his arms.

TBC


	13. Unrealized Potential

_Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! They are appreicated. As for Rory and Logan, I'm not sure where I'll take them. I'm kind of on the fence.

* * *

_

_Chapter 13  
_"_Unrealized Potential"_

Lorelai entered the dining room of the Dragonfly grudgingly at 12:55 p.m. She had gotten to the inn early and she found herself working instead of waiting on what was supposed to be her day off. She scanned the room and sure enough Emily was already seated at a table in the corner.

"Mom," Lorelai said as she approached the table.

"Lorelai," Emily said as if she were surprised. "You're early."

"So I'm early, it's not that shocking," Lorelai said with a slight attitude.

"You're habitually late," Emily replied setting the menu down.

"I'm not habitually late," Lorelai replied taking a seat.

"Well I'm glad that you're early," Emily said.

"Well I'm glad you're glad," Lorelai replied.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything when I called this morning. I wasn't expecting Luke to answer your phone."

Lorelai knew her mother was trying to bait her. She had a chat with Luke before she set off on her lunch adventure and she promised she would try to stay calm during her visit with her mother. "No, you didn't interrupt anything," Lorelai said pleasantly. "Luke only answered my phone because it woke him up."

"So Luke is staying the night now?" Emily inquired.

"No, as a matter of fact we were at his apartment," Lorelai said opening her menu and pretending to peruse the contents of which she knew by heart.

"So this isn't serious enough for him to stay at your house then?" Emily asked hopefully.

"No," Lorelai gritted her teeth. "I just happened to have gone to the diner last night."

"And since he lives above it, it was just convenient."

"And I can't even guess how you feel about that."

"Living above a diner isn't exactly the mark of successful man."

"First of all, Luke owns the building that he lives in and second, he won't be living there for long," Lorelai smiled smugly.

"Why is that? Is he packing up the old chuck wagon and taking it on the road?" Emily joked sarcastically while she scanned the menu.

"No," Lorelai smiled relishing the moment that was about to come. "He won't be living above the diner for long because he's going to move in with me."

Lorelai put down her menu and smiled like the cat that ate the canary. She took in the look of shock on her mother's face and it somehow made the last few minutes worth it.

"You're not serious," Emily said as a statement more than a question.

"Oh I'm very serious," Lorelai continued to torture her mother. "We talked about it last week and we finalized the plans last night. In fact, he's going to start moving a few of his things over tomorrow."

Emily shut her menu and swallowed shallowly. "So this is really happening," Emily replied as if she had to convince herself of Lorelai's assertion.

"Yes," Lorelai said smiled. "But you didn't come here to talk about Luke, you came to talk about…what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Rory," Emily said feebly.

"Right. I can't believe you didn't tell me about the court date," Lorelai said. "How long have you known about it?"

"They contacted Rory about two weeks ago," Emily said regaining her composure. "If I had known she hadn't told you I would have said something."

"Sure you would have," Lorelai scoffed. "You love that we're not talking."

"I do not. I wouldn't be here if I was happy about that. Honestly, what you think of me," Emily said almost hurt.

"Sorry," Lorelai replied sheepishly. "But you have to admit that you love to take control of things when Rory gets mad at me. I mean, I stupidly thought you and Dad were going to help me talk some sense into her, but I guess that was too much to hope for right?"

"Lorelai, your father made the decision to help Rory, not me."

"Oh I forgot you can't think for yourself," Lorelai retorted sarcastically. "You just do what Dad says because he's right all the time."

"That isn't fair," Emily said warningly. "I wanted to help you. I was on your side. I was perfectly willing to talk to Rory about going back to Yale, but then your father changed the plan. He told Rory he'd do whatever he had to do to help her and how could I go back on what he said?"

"So you couldn't have voiced your opinion?" Lorelai replied. "You couldn't have expressed your disappointment? No, instead you gave her a place to live complete with daily gourmet meals, a pool and a maid. You set her up with a job that she didn't have to look for. It was just given to her because Dad knows a guy."

"That's not what you want for your daughter?" Emily asked. "You'd rather her be a maid and scrub toilets while she figures out what to do with her life?"

"Why do you bring that up all the time? In case you haven't noticed, I've worked my way up in the world Mom. I _own_ this inn."

"Now, but you were a maid. You'd rather demean yourself as a maid than live with me and your father."

"And I'm not ashamed of it," Lorelai replied louder than she'd intended. She lowered her voice before continuing. "It no wonder you can't keep a maid. You have an inherent distain for the profession. Well guess what? Someone has to do it Mom. I started as a maid, but look how much I've accomplished since then. I worked my way up from nothing to the owner of an inn."

"And that's what you want for Rory? You want her to work her way up from nothing like you? Well I have news for you Lorelai you didn't start out life as nothing. You were a Gilmore. You had all the advantages you could imagine at your fingertips and you turned your back on it. You wanted to start from nothing. Rory doesn't have to."

"I don't want her to start from nothing," Lorelai replied a bit desperately. "I want her to value the opportunities she has. I want her to stay in school. It's what she worked so hard for and I see her throwing it away. I don't want her to have to go to community college to at night because she regrets dropping out now."

Emily studied her daughter's face for a moment before she replied. "You regret not going to college?"

"No," Lorelai lied.

"It sounded like you regretted not going," Emily insisted.

"I regret that I had to do it the hard way," Lorelai spit out quickly.

"So you do regret it," Emily said satisfied. "Why would you want Rory to have to do it the hard way like you did? You got pregnant and--"

"Here we go again," Lorelai interjected.

"You got pregnant and your father and I never once told you that were unwelcome at home," Emily continued.

"Told me? No. Made me feel like I was unworthy of your charity? Yes."

"I'm sorry if you felt that way," Emily replied without a hint of regret. "The point is that we never told you that you didn't have a home with us. You've told Rory she isn't welcome in your home. Your father and I didn't care to see Rory struggling to find a place to live. Although I'm sure she'd have found a nice potting shed somewhere."

Emily's last few words stung Lorelai more than she cared to admit. While it was true that she did struggle to make ends meet, and she and Rory had lived in a potting shed at the Independence Inn, she remembered those times fondly for the most part. Now it felt like Emily was there to launch yet another attack on Lorelai's life and she was in no mood to deal with it. She stood up from the table abruptly.

"This conversation is over," Lorelai said leaning down to grumble at her mother. "Was this ever about Rory or did you see a hole in your schedule and you thought it would be fun to come to my town, to my inn, and tell me that I've always been a disappointment to you? Well, newsflash Mom, I've known that for years. You didn't have to take time out of your busy day to remind me."

With that Lorelai stalked away from the table and into the lobby. Emily sat for only a moment before she was on her feet and following Lorelai. "We're not done," Emily called after her as Lorelai walked out the front door.

"Lorelai Gilmore," Emily called again as she followed her to the porch. "Get back here."

Lorelai was half-way to her car when she spun around and continued to walk as she spoke. "I'm not really in the mood for this today, okay?"

"This isn't about us. This is about your daughter," Emily said closing in on her. "Or have you washed your hands of her too?"

"I will never turn my back on Rory," Lorelai defended herself. "But you've been here for twenty minutes and you've said nothing remotely constructive about Rory or the situation. You've found plenty to say about Luke, my career, my first home, but you haven't said a word about Rory. So what? What was the big issue that you were so desperate to discuss with me?"

"I think you're right," Emily spit out breathless from having to follow Lorelai so quickly.

Lorelai, who was just about to open her car door, stopped suddenly and her muscles seemed to tense slightly. "You think I'm right?" she asked cautiously as she slowly turned.

"Yes," Emily grudgingly admitted.

"What am I right about?" Lorelai asked.

"I think Rory needs to go back to school," Emily said.

"Why?" Lorelai asked, still hesitant to take Emily at her word.

"I agreed with you the night you came to us and asked for our help," Emily admitted. "Rory is working at the law firm, but I don't think it's what she wants to do. She's been spending almost every night with Logan and she just doesn't seem happy."

"You love Logan," Lorelai commented.

"I think Logan is a nice young man," Emily admitted. "But, if his family treated Rory as you said then I'm not so certain she should be spending that much time with him."

"You practically had her married off into the Huntzberger family," Lorelai insisted. "But that isn't the point. The point is that you want to take my side now? Don't you think it's a little late? You and Dad probably have Rory's ten year plan notarized and looked up in the safe by now."

"Now you're being ridiculous," Emily said getting irritated. She was never one to admit she was wrong, and now, although she wasn't really admitting it, she was getting tired for Lorelai's comments. "I think you need to talk to Rory again. Make her see that she's making a mistake."

"I can't do that," Lorelai said. "I tried to, but then you and Dad completely undermined me. She won't listen to me anymore."

"You've got to make her listen to you," Emily insisted.

"Mom, what has Rory done that has you so concerned all of sudden?" Lorelai asked feeling a bit of anxiety.

"Nothing specific," Emily said. She thought about how the pool house was in disarray and how she had seen Rory come home later and later each night. She seemed tired and unhappy for the last week and Emily didn't know of another way to make things better. As much as she liked Logan she didn't want Rory to fall into the trap that Lorelai had, escaping her problems through a boy. "I'm just concerned. I'm perfectly happy to have Rory stay with us for as long as she'd like. I just think you need to talk to her about going back to school."

"Well I'll keep that in mind," Lorelai replied.

"Are you going to talk to her?" Emily asked.

"Eventually," Lorelai said rather dismissively. "Thanks to you and Dad she doesn't care about what I think. You've finally fulfilled your life-long dream of nullifying my relationship with my daughter. She knows you'll back her up no matter what and how can I compete with that?"

"This isn't a competition Lorelai. You've never let the issues we have with each other get in the way when it comes to Rory. You might want to think about that before you sit back and do nothing."

With that Emily turned on her heel and started to walk to her car. The conversation was over. She had said what she came to say and now it was time to leave. She wasn't even sure what compelled her to see Lorelai. Maybe it was to reassure herself that Lorelai had made mistakes but she was still standing. She wasn't living the life Emily had hoped for, but she seemed to like it well enough. There was something unsettling about the situation with Rory and she felt like she had to do something about. Luckily, she walked back to her car feeling a little better about the situation.

Lorelai watched her mother walk away and she opened her mouth to say something, but she realized she didn't wish to prolong the conversation any longer. Emily had made it clear that she had nothing more to say on the subject. Lorelai got into her car, suddenly not hungry at all, and she drove home. Her mother had not only given her a headache, but she'd given her something to think about as well.

TBC


	14. Uncertainty and Resolve

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I promise if you stick with me I will try to update more frequently! Last time we left our group Luke had agreed to move in with Lorelai, Emily admitted to Lorelai that she thought Rory should return to school and Rory and Logan shared a strained evening. Thanks for the reviews.

* * *

_

Chapter 14  
"Uncertainty and Resolve"

Luke was waist deep in a pile of boxes in the kitchen when he heard the apartment door slam. He looked up and saw Lorelai standing before him. Her eyes looked watery and he could tell that she was holding back tears. He kicked a few boxes out of the way and walked over to her with his arms out ready to hug away the hurt that he saw in her face.

"What happened?" Luke asked as Lorelai fell into his arms and rested her head on his strong shoulder.

"My mother," Lorelai said simply.

"So you two went a few rounds I take it?"

"Of course," Lorelai replied as she broke away from him and walked over to the kitchen table. "Except I'd have rather been in the ring with Tyson. At least he'd have bit my ear off so I wouldn't have to hear anymore."

Luke walked over to the table and took a seat next to her. He leaned in and placed his hand over her knee. "What happened?"

"She wanted to talk about Rory," Lorelai explained. "And, if you can even believe this, she agrees with me now."

"She agrees with you?"

"Yeah, she thinks Rory needs to go back to school now. Of course she came to this point after she put down my first home, my job and everything else about me that she finds reprehensible."

"Why is she suddenly on your side?" Luke asked. "I mean, it's probably not a bad thing, but it's been a few weeks."

"I know," Lorelai replied starting to get more animated. The color was back in her cheeks and she looked more like the spitfire he knew. "Apparently she's always been on my side. My father used some sort of Jedi mind control on her and she had no free will, but now she'd decided that Rory needs to go back to school."

"Well at least she agrees with you," Luke tried to see the bright side, which was slightly unusual.

Lorelai stood up quickly and paced a few steps before speaking again. "But why? What happened to make her come to me? Oh, and by the way, she has no intention of telling Rory she thinks she should go back to school. She wants me to talk to her again."

Luke said nothing. He leaned back in his chair and pressed his fingers together while he thought.

"What?" Lorelai demanded.

"Nothing," Luke said. "I just…maybe you should try to talk Rory again."

"How can I talk to her? She blew me off at dinner and she hasn't made any attempt to talk to me."

"I know that, but she did come to the diner," Luke tried to reason.

"To talk to you, not me," Lorelai cut him off before he could say anything. "I'm always the one who goes to her to make things better."

Luke gave her a look that told her she was being childish, but she didn't care. Rory continually ran to her grandparents when she didn't like what Lorelai had to say. It was tiresome. It seemed that whenever Lorelai had something exciting and happy to celebrate, Rory let her down. Her college graduation was one; the run–through of Dragonfly was another. Now, just as Lorelai's life was falling into place Rory refused to listen to her.

"You do realize you're her mother though," Luke said.

"So, what's your point?"

"Just that usually the parent is the one that goes to the child to make things better," Luke tried to say gently.

"I have," Lorelai protested. His words stung because they were more reasonable than she'd like to admit.

"Right," Luke replied. "But maybe Rory came to me because she really wanted to talk to you but she didn't know how. Maybe she knows she's wrong but she doesn't know how to make things right."

"So you think I should talk to her again too?"

"I do," Luke sighed.

"You realize you're in complete agreement with my mother."

"Don't think that didn't come to my attention."

"You and Emily are thinking alike," she chided him. "It's kind of a scary concept."

"I realize that," Luke replied. "And don't think it's only scary for you. For me it's down right terrifying."

"So I should try again," Lorelai stated as if she were trying to talk herself into it.

"That might be best."

Lorelai scanned Luke's apartment and noticed all the boxes that were strewn about the area. She wasn't in the mood to continue to talk about Rory so she walked over to the counter and peered into a box that was open. "Are you moving somewhere?" she asked teasing.

"I was thinking about it," Luke replied standing up. "I heard that my new place might be low on actual kitchen utensils."

"Really?" Lorelai continued her game. "So what's this new place like?"

"Well it's been called the Crap Shack by its owner," Luke said walking over to her and standing very close to her.

"The name sounds very inviting. I can see why you picked it," Lorelai said running her fingers up and down Luke's arm. He had rolled up the sleeves of his flannel shirt and his forearm was exposed. Lorelai always thought he looked sexy with his sleeves slightly rolled.

"Well it was more for the roommate than anything," Luke said softly as he moved his lips by her ear.

"Oh you have to share a bed?" Lorelai said in between giggles. "That's a shame."

"Somehow I think I'll manage," Luke replied. He had just moved in to his kiss her lips when Lorelai put a hand on his chest and pushed him back.

"Wait, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed as she broke away from him and ran to her purse. She began digging and finally produced a small shiny item. "This is for you," she said.

She presented Luke with his own newly cut key to her house. "I know you've been a fan of climbing in windows and breaking the back door in the past, but I thought it might be nice for you to be able to use the front door," she smiled.

"Thank you," he said taking the key from her and attaching it to his key ring. "So it's official then."

"Very official," she said wrapping her arms around him. "I think we could get Taylor to notarize it it's so official."

"I don't think that's necessary," Luke chuckled.

Lorelai rested her head on Luke's chest and asked shyly, "So you think I should talk to Rory again?"

"I think you might want to try," Luke said.

"Well, maybe after the hearing I will," Lorelai said.

Emily entered the house and slammed the door behind her. Why couldn't they ever have a normal conversation? Why did it always end with one of them storming out mad? She removed her coat forcefully and walked into the dining room where she found Richard reading the paper.

"Hostile DAR meeting?" Richard asked absently, not looking up from his paper.

"No," Emily replied hanging her coat on the back of the chair. "I was having lunch with Lorelai. Although neither of us even ordered anything."

"You were having lunch with Lorelai?" Richard asked looking up.

"Yes."

"What does she need?" Richard asked.

"She doesn't need anything," Emily replied. "I called her."

"Why, is there something wrong with Rory?"

"No," Emily replied. She hadn't told Richard that she was going to see Lorelai. She hadn't told him that disagreed with his plan in so many words. She had eluded to it, but she hadn't told him that she was convinced that he was wrong. She told him she'd give Rory time to adjust to the new environment and job, but that was lie. "I wanted her to try to talk to Rory again."

"Why, is there something wrong with Rory?" Richard asked.

"No, there's nothing wrong with her. I just think they should be talking."

"You're trying to mend the relationship between them?" Richard asked surprised. He wasn't sure what had gotten into Emily. Normally she was elated when Rory came to them for help. Normally she would try her hardest to keep Lorelai away from Rory, but over the last few days it was clear that Emily was unhappy with the situation.

"No," Emily insisted. "Rory's court date is coming up and I think it would be nice if her own mother were in the court room."

"I thought you told me this morning that Lorelai couldn't make it," Richard said.

"Well I thought it wouldn't hurt to try to get her there," Emily replied. "Lord knows what's going to happen."

Richard finally put his paper down and walked over to his wife. "Everything will be fine. We've got an excellent attorney and this is Rory's first run-in with the law. She's a very well behaved young woman and this is her first transgression."

"But it's not Logan's," Emily reminded him.

"No, it's not, but I don't see how that has anything to do with Rory."

"What if they look at her being with Logan as a bad sign?"

"I'm sure they won't Emily. Do you think Mitchum Huntzberger is going to let his son go to jail?"

"No, I don't," Emily admitted. "Maybe we should have used his lawyer though. From the sound of things it seems like he's gotten Logan out of a few questionable situations."

"Our lawyer is just fine," Richard said. "Besides, if you want to distance Rory from Logan then it might be best to use a different lawyer."

"You're probably right," Emily said. She still felt worry over the pending court date. There was something in her gut that told her things might not work out as well as Richard insisted they would.

"So is Lorelai coming on Wednesday?" Richard asked.

"I don't think so," Emily said absently. "She has that meeting she couldn't change."

"Meetings can always be changed. She's acting like a scolded child. She's got to realize that Rory is a grown woman. If she doesn't wish to speak to her mother then she doesn't have to. Lorelai should know that better than any of us."

"You're very quick to jump to Rory's defense lately. It's not as if we're going to court over a misunderstanding. Rory and Logan stole a boat. She's dropped out of college and you seem to have no problem with it."

"Of course I have a problem with it! Do you think I like that Rory might have a criminal record? Do you think it's my dream for her drop out of Yale? She was on the right path--the path that Lorelai rejected. She's a smart young woman and I hate that she's dropped out of college, but look at what's happened between Lorelai and Rory. Lorelai disapproved of her decision and Rory ran to us for help. If I'd rejected her then where would she have gone?"

"I don't know," Emily said quietly.

"Exactly," Richard replied. "Whether we like it or not we have to be the ones to support her right now. I'm hoping that after some time we can convince her to return to school, but until that time we need to let her find her own way."

"If you think this is what's best," Emily replied.

"Obviously you don't agree," Richard said irritated.

"I just wonder if Lorelai didn't have the right idea. If we'd have banded together and insisted Rory return to school it might have shocked some sense into her. Now she's living in the pool house, working at law firm and seeing Logan every night."

"What would you have me do about that Emily? Maybe the girl needs to see what the real world is like for a while. It might send her running back to school."

"Or it might send her running to Logan," Emily shot back.

"We like Logan," Richard said forcefully.

"Yes, we do," Emily said. "I'm just not sure they should spend every free moment together right now. Rory should be thinking about her future."

"Maybe her future is Logan," Richard said sensibly. "He's nice boy from a very wealthy family and he's attending college. He'll probably inherit the journalism business from his father. I don't see why this is problem."

"It's not," Emily lied. "It's not Richard." Emily reached over and patted his hand. "I just have a lot on my mind. I've been worried about the court date. I'm fine. You're right."

"You're sure?" Richard asked.

"I'll be fine," Emily insisted. "I just need to get my mind of it for a while. I think I'll try to make some progress on the DAR fall fundraiser."

"Emily," Richard said seriously. "Everything will be fine."

"I know Richard," she said sadly as she left the dining room. She walked over to the stairs and sighed. She wasn't sure how things were going to work out, but the more she thought about it the more she wondered if Lorelai weren't right about everything.

TBC


	15. It Takes a Village

_Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews. I appreciate them all._

Chapter 15  
"It Takes a Village…"

Rory stood in the hallway of the court room nervously wringing her hands. It was as if the last hour had been a horrible nightmare and she waiting impatiently to wake. She had arrived early to the hearing with Emily and Richard in tow. She hadn't told Lorelai about it and she somewhat surprised that Emily hadn't spilled the beans, but since Lorelai was nowhere to be found she figured her secret was safe.

Rory's lawyer had gone over her statement and told her what to expect. Being as though this was a first offense he didn't expect her to punishment to be severe. He figured they might give her a few hours of community service and be charged a fee from the marina for having to send out their police boat. He assumed they'd be in and out in a matter of minutes, a half hour tops. He couldn't have been more wrong.

"Are you okay Rory?" Richard asked placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm, I don't know," Rory stammered honestly.

"We're going to fight this Rory," Richard assured her. "That damn judge had no right to do this."

"Maybe he's right," Rory said still in shock.

"Right?" Richard asked aghast. "The man said he almost sentenced you to jail time. You're going to have to perform 500 hours of community service and pay restitution to the marina, the yacht owner and the county. That's ridiculous. Armed robbers get more lenient sentences."

"Richard, Joseph would like to speak to you," Emily said breaking up the conversation. Richard took his leave quickly and Emily swooped in next to Rory. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just kind of numb I guess," Rory replied slowly. "I wasn't expecting this."

"Joseph should have prepared us for this. He should have told us that this was a possibility."

Emily didn't know what to say or how to proceed. Rory looked devastated as well she should. Emily suddenly wondered if Rory taking a semester off wasn't a good plan now. Completing 500 hours of community service with a full class schedule seemed like it would be impossible. Although the judge did comment that Rory's college status had come into play in his decision. He felt that with no classes Rory would have ample downtime and that helping the community might help her fill her free time. Emily sighed and glanced around the hall of the court. She had told Lorelai she should have been there and once again Lorelai ignored her.

"Rory, I'll be back in a moment," Emily said suddenly. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine Grandma," Rory answered quietly.

Emily reached into her purse and dug for her cell phone even before she turned the corner. She dialed Lorelai's number and waited.

"Hello?" Lorelai said.

"Lorelai," Emily said. "Where the hell were you?"

"Excuse me?" Lorelai asked agitated. She was in the middle of a meeting at the Dragonfly and against her better judgment she had excused herself to answer the phone thinking it might have been Rory.

"Your daughter's hearing just ended," Emily explained. "I didn't think I could have been much plainer in my request for you to come today."

"And I told you that I had a meeting with several important people that I couldn't cancel," Lorelai shot back.

"Well you seem to have no trouble talking on the phone during your very important meeting. You should have been here."

"What happened?" Lorelai sucked it up and asked.

"Rory was sentenced to 500 hours of community service, she has to pay restitution to half the state of Connecticut and she has a permanent criminal record. You should have been here. How do you think it looks to a judge when the defendant's own mother isn't at her hearing?"

"Mom, slow down," Lorelai said. "I thought you told me Dad's lawyer was the best in the county? How did this happen?"

"I don't know," Emily said. "All I know is that you put yourself before your daughter and now she's paying the price."

"Wait a minute," Lorelai snapped. "I always put Rory before me. She is my number one priority. She's paying the price for what she did. My absence today has nothing to do with this."

"I hope that thought comforts you," Emily said indignantly. "I, on the other hand, have to go comfort my granddaughter. Excuse me."

"Mom," Lorelai yelled into the phone, but it was too late. Emily quickly snapped her phone shut and dropped it angrily into her purse. She made her way back to Rory and Richard.

"The appeal might take a few weeks," Emily hear Richard explain. "It's probably best for you to start the community service as a show of good faith. At the very least we're hoping to get your record expunged."

"Okay," Rory said.

"I think we should get home," Emily suggested sensing Rory's discomfort. "Did the bailiff give you the community service guidelines?"

"Yes, I have them here," Rory said holding up a large manila envelope.

"Good," Emily said. "For now I think we should get home, have a nice meal and forget about all of this until tomorrow. Richard, you can handle the lawyers. Rory, you and I can take a look at all that information tomorrow morning. For tonight let's just try to forget about it."

The three exited the courthouse and Rory held her arms close to her as if she were bracing her arms from the cold. The thing was, it was a beautiful spring day and the cold that Rory felt wasn't external, it was in her heart.

* * *

By the time dinner was over Rory was just ready to return to the pool house and go to sleep in an attempt to put this day behind her. Just as she was getting ready to excuse herself the doorbell rang and Lorelai entered the dining room.

"Hi," Lorelai said. "I thought I would drop by to see Rory and since she wasn't in the pool house I figured she was over here."

"Lorelai," Emily said. "We've all had a long day. Can this wait?"

"No, it can't," Lorelai said looking directly at Rory the entire time. "Can we talk?"

"Okay," Rory said surprising herself and everyone else in the room.

"Lorelai she's had a hard day. This can wait," Emily protested again.

"Well since she wants to talk to me I don't see why it should wait Mom," Lorelai snapped. "Shall we?" Lorelai asked Rory and two quickly exited the dining room.

"You were a lot of help," Emily said rather snidely to Richard.

"Lorelai wanted to speak to her daughter Emily," Richard sighed. "Who are we to stop them?"

"Sometimes I just don't understand you," Emily replied simply.

Lorelai led Rory outside and over to the pool house. She didn't fancy having another conversation with her out on the patio. It felt something like bad karma after their fight the last time she was there.

"So," Lorelai said as Rory closed the door to the pool house behind them. "My mother told me you had quite a day."

"Yeah," Rory replied.

"Are you okay?" Lorelai asked.

"I'm fine," Rory lied. She was struggling to stay mad at Lorelai, but after the day she had her resolve was crumbling.

"500 hours of community service and a criminal record?" Lorelai asked. "That doesn't sound like fine to me."

"It's being worked out," Rory said. "Grandpa and the lawyer are going to appeal."

"And if that doesn't work?" Lorelai asked.

"It will."

"But, if it doesn't do you have a plan?"

"I'll figure it out."

"Like you have so far?" Lorelai asked with a little more hostility than she'd intended. "I'm sorry I don't want to fight with you about this. I want…I want us to talk again."

"I know," Rory replied quietly.

"You do? Then can we talk? Can we be normal with each other?"

"I don't know," Rory said honestly. "Are you and Luke getting married?"

"What?" Lorelai asked puzzled.

"You want us to talk and be normal, but what is normal? I overheard Grandma and Grandpa talking and they were saying that you and Luke were getting married. If you don't tell me things how can you expect me to tell you things?"

"Okay, Luke told me you came to see him, but you're still dwelling on this?" Lorelai asked. "You like Luke. Why would it matter if we got married? I was going to marry Max and that was okay with you."

"I know. It wouldn't bother me, but I'd want to know before you actually got married."

"Where is this coming from?"

"How can we talk normally if you're not telling me things?" Rory asked.

"Rory, I have. I told you I didn't like the idea of you leaving school and look what happened? You ran away from me. You didn't even run away to join the circus like a normal kid. You ran away to join the Stepford Wives remake starring Emily and Richard Gilmore. I don't really have a clue what Luke has to do with any of this."

"He doesn't have anything to do with this," Rory said. "It's just an example."

"Okay, well I've got a few examples for you," Lorelai started. "You didn't tell me how the internship was going. You didn't tell me about what Mitchum Huntzberger said to you. You made all these rash decisions without me."

"So you were getting back at me by not telling me about Luke?" Rory asked irritated.

"No! Luke and I are not engaged. I do have some news about Luke though. He's moving in."

"Moving into our house?" Rory asked aghast.

"Moving into my house, but yes."

"And you didn't even think to ask me?" Rory asked. She began a frantic pace back and forth behind the couch.

"You moved out hon," Lorelai said. "I kind of thought you'd be okay with Luke moving in since you left."

"Well I'm not."

"Why? Why aren't you okay with it? How does Luke moving in with me affect you? You live here now remember?"

"What if I wanted to come back?"

"Do you?"

"No."

"Then why ask? Do you want to come back home?"

"What if I did?"

"Would you be going to school?" Lorelai asked after a moment.

"No," Rory replied. "I told you I'm still trying to decide if school is right for me."

"It's right for you," Lorelai insisted. "It's practically what you were born to do."

"I'm being serious," Rory said.

"So am I," Lorelai said taking a seat on the couch. "Tell my why it's so important for you to leave Yale, and if the last name Huntzberger comes up anywhere in your explanation this conversation is over."

Rory sighed. She didn't know where to begin. "School has been challenging," Rory started. "I had to drop that class year and I just feel like my articles for the paper aren't anything great."

"I disagree with you about the articles, but if that's the way you feel then you have to know that you can't be the best at everything," Lorelai offered.

"I know, but shouldn't I be good at the thing I'm majoring in?" Rory asked. "Paris seems to have an easier time on the paper and she's pre-med."

"So what you're saying is that you're not sure journalism is right for you," Lorelai said. "I know that's hard for you sweets, but there have got to be a hundred other subjects you can study at Yale."

"I don't want to study another subject," Rory protested.

"You're not making sense," Lorelai informed her. "You say you're not good at journalism, which couldn't be farther from the truth, but you don't want to study anything else, so you're dropping out anyway. You're never going to get better if you drop out Rory."

"I know! I'm just confused," Rory said. "Logan thinks this might be good for me and I agree with him. I just need some time to figure things out."

"Oh well if Logan says so it must be true," Lorelai replied bitterly. "Wake up Rory, Logan Huntzberger and his whole family have caused you nothing but grief. Since you've been with him you've come home drunk on more than one occasion and you've turned into someone else."

"Oh I forgot you were the model teenager," Rory spat at her mother. The tension was escalating again and Rory just knew that harsh words would again be said.

"No, I wasn't," Lorelai replied. "So I think I know when you're going down the wrong path. And by the way, I _was_ a teenager. You're twenty now Rory, you're getting a little old for the defiant kid routine."

Lorelai stood up and picked her purse. "Maybe I was a bad mother. Maybe I kept you too sheltered or something, but right now you're not the daughter I raised. The Rory I know wouldn't back down from a challenge and she certainly wouldn't care this much about what her boyfriend said about her education."

"Why did you come here?" Rory shouted.

"I came to see how you were doing, but apparently you don't need me. You've got Grandma and Grandpa and Logan and the whole Huntzberger clan to do your thinking for you."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Rory yelled fighting back tears. "Why don't you get back home and make sure Luke gets everything unpacked."

"I will," Lorelai shouted back. "Why don't you give me a call when you've thought about things?"

"Don't hold your breath," Rory muttered as Lorelai stormed out.

Lorelai took a deep breath and sucked on the night air. She walked to her car and put her key in the ignition, but before she turned the key she buried her head in her hands and began to cry.

Rory turned the lock to the pool house angrily and kicked the door with her foot before her eyes gazed outside to see her mother's silhouette disappear into the night. She tried to fight back the tears, but her eyes betrayed her and allowed the salty water to cascade down her cheeks.

TBC


	16. Stuck in Neutral

_Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Since the premiere is so close (yay!) I figure I'll have to pick up the pace of posting in order to wrap this up in time for season 6. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 16  
"Stuck in Neutral"_

Luke snuck a glance down at Lorelai who had finally fallen asleep in the warmth of his arms. He was unpacking a few boxes when she returned home, eyes bloodshot and swollen from crying. He knew that she was off to her parents to try to speak to Rory and he didn't need an explanation to see that it didn't go well. Lorelai had been putting on a brave face for weeks. Sure, she occasionally snapped at him if he pressed the Rory issue, but for the most part she hadn't broken down or even allowed her anguish over the situation to show. He enveloped her in his arms when she came through the door and she let the floodgates open.

"I know you and tears are like vinegar and water," she sniffled. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry about anything," he replied soothingly. He stroked her back gently and let her cry into his shoulder. He hadn't realized how hard she was sobbing until he realized he could feel the wetness through his flannel. "Do you want sit down?"

"Okay," she sniffed as she tried to compose herself. "I just don't understand this. It's like we're strangers."

"Did she want to talk to you?" Luke asked cautiously. He knew in this type of situation it was best to let Lorelai tell him what she wanted him to hear, but he also sensed that she needed to let it all out. Bottling her emotions would only lead to a large explosion down the road.

"Yes," Lorelai said reaching over him for a tissue. "It was bad Luke. I said things that were hurtful and she said things that I don't really get. She was making a big deal about you living here for some reason. I told her it didn't matter because she moved out."

Luke winced slightly at Lorelai's comment. He certainly didn't want to be in the middle of their feud, but Luke figured Rory's anger over him probably had more to do with the current situation than his actual presence in the house. At least, that's what he hoped.

"Then it just turned into another shouting match and I left," Lorelai continued. "I just don't understand how this happened. Why did she start keeping things from me?"

"I don't think she was intentionally keepings from you," Luke offered. "I think maybe she just had a lot to deal with and she made some rash decisions. Maybe she just needs more time to see that."

"But how much time?" Lorelai asked him. "It's been weeks and school starts soon. Is she really not going back?"

"Maybe not this semester, but maybe she'll figure it out and she can start again after Christmas. A lot of kids take some time off."

"Yeah," Lorelai scoffed before she adopted a higher pitch in order to imitate Rory. "Logan took some off and he really thinks this is the right thing for me to do."

"Logan, the guy at the wedding?"

"The one and only."

"I really don't like that guy," Luke said.

"Join the club," Lorelai replied. "Of which I'm currently president and CEO. You really don't like him either?"

"Maybe he's a nice kid, but after the wedding and what you've told me about his family I'm not leaning toward the pro column on this one."

"You hated Dean too," Lorelai said.

"You hated Dean in the beginning as I remember," Luke reminded her. "If you recall I believe I saved his life when you were about to kill him on double coupon day."

"That was different," Lorelai replied. She seemed to have brightened a little bit.

"You know, this isn't Logan's fault," Luke tried to tell her gently.

"I know," Lorelai said. "He's just the root of the problem."

"Come on," Luke said.

"No really," Lorelai insisted. "Logan has caused her pain, he's taken her out drinking, his family said Rory wasn't good enough for him, which led to the internship offer from Logan's father to smooth the waters. All roads lead back to Logan on this."

"She's growing up," Luke said simply.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Lorelai replied snidely.

Luke sighed before continuing. "I just mean that she's in an adult relationship. Sometimes people hurt each other, even if they don't mean to. As far as the drinking, I guess Rory is almost 21. You didn't expect her to never try alcohol before then did you?"

"Yes," Lorelai said seriously. "I knew taking her out of that bubble when she was 5 was a mistake."

Luke ignored her comment and continued, "As far as Logan's family, sometimes you just have to say to hell with them. I certainly don't let your parents feelings about me get to me."

Lorelai gave him a hard look.

"Anymore," Luke replied sheepishly.

"I just don't know how I can get through to her Luke," Lorelai said. "I feel like we're having the same conversations over and over. Now she's got a criminal record, she has all these hours of community service to do and now she's in my parent's clutches. Maybe if she were home I could talk some sense into her."

"Are you letting her come home if she's not in school?" Luke asked.

"I don't know," Lorelai sighed as she leaned her head on Luke's chest. "I'm so tired of fighting with her. Maybe it's the right thing to do. At least then she'd be here and the Heaven's Gate brainwashing my parents undoubtedly put her through will be reversed."

Luke absently ran his fingers through Lorelai's hair as she rested her eyes. "If you want me to wait on moving in," Luke started hesitantly. "Let me know." It was the last thing in the world that he wanted but he knew that Lorelai's first priority needed to be Rory.

"No," Lorelai said looking up. "I don't want you to wait to move in here." Her eyes were still glassy from the tears but they were also resolved. "No matter what happens between me and Rory, you're moving in. She's not mad about you being here, trust me."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. She's mad at me and she's taking it out on the thought of you being here. She loves you. You're moving in."

"Only if you're sure," Luke replied.

"I'm sure," Lorelai replied before she rested her head back against his chest. She was silent for a few minutes and her breathing seemed to even out. Luke thought she was asleep, but she mumbled, "Love you Luke."

Luke smiled to himself and whispered, "I love you too." He sat with Lorelai resting comfortably on his chest and he watched her sleep.

"Thanks for coming over," Rory said as she ushered Logan through the door of the pool house.

"Anytime Ace," Logan replied. "What's going on?"

Rory threw her arms around Logan's neck and buried her head in his shoulder. She breathed deeply the scent of him and tried to lose herself in the moment. She just wanted her mind to go blank and forget the events of the day.

"I heard about the hearing," Logan said gently. "I'm so sorry."

"Me too," Rory said.

"It's tough," Logan said as he caressed her back. "I did tell you that you should have used Brandon though."

Rory pulled away from him and looked him the eye. "Well that's exactly what I needed right now," she said snottily.

"Sorry," Logan chuckled sheepishly. "I didn't mean it like 'I told you so.' I just think he could have gotten you a better deal."

"Well we're appealing," Rory said as she turned and walked over to the couch.

"Come on Rory," he said trying to get her to cheer up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it how it sounded."

"Fine," Rory said still hurt but willing to let it go because she wanted someone to talk to. "What kind of deal did Brandon get for you anyway?"

"Six months probation, suspended and a $500 fine," Logan said.

"You didn't get any community service?" Rory asked shocked.

"No, it appears I'm a model citizen," he replied. He hadn't meant to sound superior, but his tone exuded it.

"And I'm not?" Rory asked appalled.

Logan made a face as if he knew he'd made a mistake. "I didn't mean it like that," he said. He sighed and then added, "Tonight isn't going real well."

"No, it's not," Rory shot at him. "You got a slap on the wrist and I almost got jail time."

"I know," Logan said. "It isn't fair and I'm sorry you got the short end of the stick Ace. When do you start community service?"

"My Grandma and I are looking at my option tomorrow," Rory replied.

They sat in silence for a moment and then Rory got to the point of why she called him over. "My Mom came by tonight," she said casually. Rory needed someone to talk to about her fight with Lorelai and her grandparents weren't an option. She wanted desperately to talk to Lane but she was on tour somewhere in Massachusetts.

"Judging by your mood I'm assuming it didn't go very well," Logan commented.

"Judging by my mood?" Rory questioned him.

"Well you're not exactly in the best of moods," Logan replied.

"Gee, I wonder why? Maybe it's because I almost got sentenced to jail this afternoon," Rory shot back at him. "I forgot you don't have to worry about that because everything was taken care of for you."

"It could have been taken care of for you too, but you didn't listen to me. I practically begged you to use Brandon."

"I know," Rory shouted. "I'm sorry. I don't want to fight with you."

"You want to fight with your mother," Logan finished for her.

"No," Rory said feebly. "I don't know."

"What happened?"

"I said some things that I shouldn't have. Luke is moving into our house."

"Luke?"

"You met Luke," Rory told him. "He wanted to beat you up at my Grandparent's vow renewal."

"Right," Logan nodded. "Taller, dark hair?"

"That's the one."

"You don't like Luke?" Logan asked.

"No, I love Luke. He's great. I just can't believe my Mom asked him to move in without talking to me first."

"Why does it matter? You don't live there anymore."

"That's what she said," Rory replied defeated.

"Well, what did you tell her?"

"I told her I didn't know. What if I want to go home or something?"

"Do you really want to go home again?"

"No," Rory said unconvincingly.

"Come on Ace," Logan said. "You don't want to go back to Stars Tree Stump. You're so much closer to me here in Hartford. Plus, you said your Mom still treats you like a little kid. Why would you want to go back to that?"

"It's Stars _Hollow_," Rory informed him. "And just because I think my Mom treats me like a child doesn't mean I don't miss her and our town."

"Can I ask you something?" Logan said suddenly.

"Yes."

"You won't get mad?" he clarified.

"Why, what are you gonna ask?"

"Promise first," he said.

"Fine, I promise," she replied.

"Okay, you wanted to be this big foreign correspondent, right?" Logan said.

"I did," Rory replied.

"Well, how were you planning to do that? Were you going to take your Mommy along with you when you were sent to the Middle East?"

"No," Rory said starting to feel offended.

"Well then it seems to me that you're embarking on a new stage in your life," Logan continued. "It's time to leave behind that little town life that you knew and get on with your real life."

"I had a real life in Stars Hollow," Rory insisted.

"Sure you did," Logan placated her. "But now it's time for you to start to have your own life; an adult life where you make your own decisions and do what you want, when you want."

"Like you do now?" Rory said pointedly. It was obvious that for all the Huntzberger's faults Logan was still attached to them. It may have been for the money alone, but he certainly hadn't cut ties with his family.

"Well, sort of," he admitted. "Come on Ace. This is our time to venture out into the world and do what we want to do. It's exciting and new. We're in the prime of our lives."

"I guess you're right," Rory said after thinking about it a little. The one thing that attracted her to Logan was that he made her feel more alive than ever. She felt like he challenged her to try new and scary things and that he made her a more well-rounded person. The feeling of euphoria that she felt when she was with him hadn't yet worn off and everything felt more exciting when he was around.

"Of course I'm right," Logan replied playfully. After a moment he slung his arm around Rory's shoulder and added, "You and your Mom will make up. You guys just need some space. Maybe you two are a little too close."

"You're not the first to suggest that," Rory said knowingly. All her life her friends had thought Lorelai was the coolest Mom in the world. They were more like sisters than mother and daughter. Maybe that was why things were so hard now. Her mother was taking a firm stand, the likes of which Rory had never seen. It left their relationship unbalanced and awkward.

Rory rested her head on Logan's shoulder and they sat in comfortable silence for a moment. "So are you gonna come visit me when I'm at my community service?"

"I don't know," Logan teased her. "Do you get to wear one of those sexy orange jumpsuits?"

"It's a possibility," Rory said. "I believe chain gang was one of the choices."

"Then count me in Ace," Logan replied with a chuckle.

Logan stayed for a few hours and the two watch television and conversed happily. Rory was happy that Logan had stopped by. Lately he seemed to be the only person who could provide her the prospective she needed. She felt like the horrendous day she experienced wasn't as bad as she'd thought. Tomorrow she would concentrate on community service, but tonight she would only let herself enjoy being with Logan.

TBC


	17. Luke's Mission

_Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews!_

Chapter 17  
"Luke's Mission"

* * *

The Monday after Lorelai's strained meeting with Rory, Luke rang the doorbell and waited for the large cherry door to open. He took a deep breath and waited with a knot in the pit of his stomach. The door swung open and Luke was confronted with the one person he feared would answer.

"Luke," she said curtly as she tried to hide her surprise and obvious displeasure.

"Emily," he tried to reply brightly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked pointedly. "Is Lorelai okay?"

"Lorelai is fine," Luke said. "I was actually hoping I could talk to Rory."

"Rory?" Emily questioned.

"Yeah, I went around to the pool house and there was no answer," Luke informed her. "I was thinking she might be here."

"Why would you need to talk to Rory?" Emily asked, not letting go of the door.

"I wanted to talk to her about a few things," Luke said evasively. It was obvious to him that Emily was less than thrilled with his presence and he wasn't in the mood to get into a discussion with her about Rory or Lorelai. "Is she here?"

"No, she's not," Emily said curtly.

"Can you tell me where I might find her?" Luke asked.

"What could you possible need to see Rory about?" Emily asked. "Are you wondering if she'd mind you converting her room into a tool shed?"

"I see you heard that I'm moving in with Lorelai," Luke said calmly.

"Yes, Lorelai dropped that little bomb on Rory the last time she was here," Emily replied. "From what Rory has said it sounds like it wasn't a very positive meeting. It sounded like Lorelai made it clear that her life is with you and to hell with Rory."

"That's not true! Lorelai would never give up on Rory. She's her number one priority."

"Really? Then how come she proposed to you and she didn't even tell Rory about it? She asked you to move in and then informed her daughter about it. That sounds like an afterthought to me. I'm just glad you were thinking clearly when you told Lorelai you wouldn't marry her. I can only wish you had that same clarity when she asked you to move in."

"Unbelievable," Luke muttered. He took a breath and thought about his response before continuing, "Do you know Lorelai at all? If you did you would know that Rory is and always has been her number one priority. Rory living here and shutting Lorelai out of her life is killing her. She doesn't know what to do anymore and I can't help her. I need to talk to Rory. I want to let her know that Lorelai still loves her and would do anything for her no matter what has happened between them."

"You think you can fix this?" Emily scoffed. "You don't know either of them well enough to accomplish that."

"And you do?" Luke said stuffing his hands into his back pockets. "You've taken nothing but pleasure in this whole situation. Lorelai is miserable over Rory dropping out of Yale. She came to you and Richard for help and you lied to her face."

"I didn't lie," Emily interjected quickly. "That decision was out of my hands."

"Please," Luke dismissed her. "You're a very formidable woman Emily. I don't believe for one minute that you had no say over breaking your word to Lorelai and neither does she."

"I went to Lorelai and I told her I agreed with her. I told her she should be at that hearing and she didn't come. Once again Lorelai would like to believe that everything in her life is falling apart because of me, but that isn't the case. She's not always the victim as she'd have you believe Luke. I'd be careful of that before you marry her."

"You know what? I'm not going to have this conversation with you," Luke finally gave in. "I love Lorelai and right now she's in pain. I'm gonna do whatever I can to help her and that includes finding Rory. Are you going to tell me where she is or not?"

Emily thought for a moment. She saw Luke, flannel-clad in middle of June, standing on her doorstep defending her daughter and frustrated with the situation. In a way Luke reminded her very much of Richard. He was always fierce around the board room, but at home he was very quiet and unresponsive about family issues. That is, until his family was threatened in some way. Then Richard became a powerful force to reckon with. It appeared that Luke had that similar trait.

"Rory does community service at the Hartford Community Center on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She's helping to clean Manning Park on Tuesday and Thursday," Emily said simply. She decided it was easier to answer his question than not, although she wasn't pleased about it.

"Thank you," Luke replied slightly shocked that she'd given up the information at all. "I'm sorry I got a little loud. This is just really important to Lorelai."

"You're not sorry," Emily said knowingly. "But it's good to know that Lorelai doesn't have to fight her battles all alone anymore. Goodbye Luke."

Emily quickly closed the door behind her and rolled her eyes. Part of her was disgusted by Luke's behavior. It was exactly what she expected of a man of his caliber. But, on the other hand, it did make Emily feel a little better knowing that, no matter what she thought of Luke, he would do just about anything for Lorelai, including standing up to Emily.

Luke saw the door shut quickly and he squinted slightly at Emily's comment. Was she paying him a compliment? He couldn't be sure and he didn't have the time to figure it out. He glanced at his watch and knew he had to be back to the diner by five to relieve Caesar. Luke hopped into his truck and set out to find the Hartford Community Center.

* * *

Rory entered the Hartford Community Center with some trepidation. This was her first foray into the world of community service and she was more nervous than she'd thought. She was never really good with kids, at least she didn't think so, and spending three hours a day with kids was slightly unnerving.

Rory found her supervisor and she was directed over to a table full of finger paint. She was never really very artistic, but she figured that helping a group of little kids paint on the paper and not the table couldn't be too difficult. She was also happy to hear that she'd be working with another volunteer. Being paired up with someone else made Rory feel slightly less apprehensive.

"Hi, I'm Rory," she said to the volunteer with his back facing her. "Katherine told me to give you some help with the finger painting."

"Rory?" the male voice said as he turned around.

"Marty?" Rory said excitedly. "What are you doing here?"

"I volunteer here a few days a week in the summer," Marty said. "I never expected to see you here."

"Yeah," Rory said sheepishly. She wasn't really looking forward to explaining her current community service situation so she tried to change the subject. "I didn't know you were a kid person."

"A kid person?" Marty replied. "Well, my nephew is four and my sister and brother-in-law have to send him here for a few hours after nursery school because they work. I usually volunteer a few days a week in the summer and I thought if I were here then maybe Bobby wouldn't feel so scared."

"That's really nice," Rory said.

"So what are you doing here? You don't have any around the world adventures planned this summer?"

"No, not this summer," Rory said. She suddenly realized how long it had been since she's actually talked to Marty. She hadn't seen him since the night he told her that he had feelings for her. That evening had ended awkwardly and Rory knew she hadn't really let him down gently. She had hoped they could still be friends, but she didn't know things would be weird between them.

"Well," Marty smiled. "I guess I should school you in the basics of finger painting. When the kids come in they usually go straight for the paints. Green seems to be one of the favorite colors, which is great, but there's some sort of dye in the green that doesn't readily wash out. Just try to make sure they get the paint on the paper and not the walls, or up their noses and you'll be fine."

"Sounds easy enough," Rory chuckled.

"Excuse me, Rory?" Katherine, the community center director, said.

"Yes," Rory replied.

"There's a man here to see you," she said. "The kids aren't quite off the buses yet so if you need to speak to him you have a few minutes."

"Oh, okay, thanks," Rory said. She had no idea who might be here to see her. Her Grandfather was in New York for a few days and she couldn't think of who else might know where she was at the moment. "I'll be quick I promise," Rory said as she walked over to the door.

Rory opened the door and saw Luke standing there waiting for her. "Hi Rory," he said. "I hope you don't mind that I tracked you down. I was just really hoping I could talk to her for minute."

"Sure," Rory said quietly. She was completely taken aback by Luke coming to see her.

"Your Mom told me about the talk you had on Friday," Luke began. "She's really upset about all this and she doesn't know what to do anymore."

"So she sent you to talk to me?" Rory asked suspiciously.

"No," Luke said quickly. "She doesn't even know I'm here. In fact I think we both know that your Mom would probably mad if she knew I was here talking to you about this."

"Probably," Rory agreed.

"Anyway, she told me that she let you know I was moving in and that you weren't too thrilled about it. I wanted to let you know that if it's a problem or if you think that me living with your Mom is going to cause problems between you two then I won't move in yet."

Rory was unsure of how to respond. She was initially caught off guard by Luke coming to see her, but now he was offering to put his life on hold to help her relationship with Lorelai. She didn't know what to say.

"Just say the word and I'll hold off on moving the rest of my stuff," Luke offered again.

"That's not what I want," Rory replied finally. "You make Mom happy. I guess I was just surprised when she told me. A decision like that is usually something she would talk to me about first."

Rory walked over to a bench a few feet away and took a seat. Luke wandered over next to her and sat down a few feet away.

"I know," Luke said. "Things have been happening kind of fast lately. I don't know if this makes a difference but your Mom is really upset about everything that's gone on between you. I think she'd give anything to make it better. She just doesn't know what to do anymore."

"She's not the only one," Rory said quietly.

"Rory," Luke said tentatively. "Is there anything I can do to help make things better with you two?"

"I don't think so," Rory replied honestly. "We can't even manage to stay in the same room together without fighting."

"Yeah, that's rough. I think your Mom's just at a loss right now. She thinks you're making a mistake by leaving school."

"She has to understand that I'm grown up," Rory said fiercely. "I can make decisions on my own."

"She knows that," Luke said trying to reassure her. "She's just having a hard time with it. I think she feels a little betrayed right now and that's making her defensive."

"Because I went to Grandma and Grandpa for help," Rory said knowingly.

"I think so," Luke agreed. They sat in silence for a moment and Luke stood suddenly. "Look I know you're here doing community service and I don't want to get in the way of that. I just came to tell you that if you have any problem with me moving in let me know. I don't want you to feel like you're unwelcome in your own house."

"Thanks Luke," Rory said looking up at him. "I appreciate it, but I'm fine with you moving in, really."

"Well if you change your mind--"

"I won't," Rory interrupted him. "I want you and Mom to be happy."

"If you ever want to come home you know the door is always open," Luke offered.

"Provided I'm an Ivy League student," Rory replied a little sullenly.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Luke said. "I hope to see you around Stars Hollow soon."

Rory just nodded and watched Luke walk down the hallway. She stood up and took a few strides behind him before calling, "Hey Luke."

"Yeah?" he said turning.

"How did you know I was here?" Rory wondered.

"I stopped by your Grandparent's house," Luke informed her. "Emily and I had a nice chat."

His tone dripped with sarcasm and Rory suppressed a grin. She couldn't believe he'd braved her Grandmother just to talk to her. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for Lorelai.

"Judging by your tone I can tell it went well," Rory teased him.

"I wasn't prepared and I left my garlic and Holy Water in the car," Luke cracked wise.

"Hey Luke," Rory said.

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime," Luke said. "Stop by for a burger some time."

"Maybe I will," Rory said. She saw Luke disappear down the hall and thought that her mother was indeed lucky. Luke just wanted Lorelai to be happy and he knew that Rory was a big piece of her happiness. Rory wondered what it would take for her and her mother to reconcile. She watched as Luke walked out into the sunlight and she turned to go back to her community service. She hoped that she would find the answers she was looking for soon.

TBC


	18. Hardware and Dropouts

Chapter 18  
"Hardware and Dropouts"

Luke returned to his new home to find the downstairs in disarray and muffled expletives being muttered upstairs.

"Lorelai?" Luke called as he walked up the stairs.

"Stupid dresser. Can't find what I need and then the handle breaks off this piece of sh--"

"Lorelai?" Luke interrupted her tirade as he entered the bedroom.

"Hey," she replied gruffly.

"Wow, with a greeting like that how could resist moving in?" Luke joked. "What seems to be the problem?"

Luke sat down on the floor next to her and examined the broken drawer handle.

"You have too many clothes," Lorelai said simply.

"I have too many clothes?" he questioned.

"Yes. If you didn't have so many clothes then I wouldn't have had to clear out another drawer for you and then I would never have opened the bottom drawer again because it has a broken handle. I haven't opened that drawer since 1996 and it seemed to be a good system."

"So let me get this straight," Luke said placating her. "You broke this handle in 1996 and thus there are clothes in the drawer that you haven't worn since 1996 taking up an entire drawer, yet I am the one with too many articles of clothing."

"I couldn't have summed it up better myself," Lorelai replied with a small grin. It appeared that for the moment her disgust with the drawer situation had passed. She leaned over and threw her arms around Luke's neck. "You added onion salt to the burgers again," she said as she breathed in the scent of his clothes.

"How do you do that?" he asked her as he examined the handle and the dresser drawers.

"It's a gift," she said.

"Well I only added onion salt to the burger that I left for you on the coffee table downstairs," Luke informed her.

"Aw, you shouldn't have," she said giving him a light peck on the cheek. "But I'm very hungry so you were very right to do so."

"I figured as much," Luke replied. "I can fix this. I just need to get a few tools from downstairs."

"If it's a screw you need I could probably help you out," she said mischievously. She bit her lower lip and raised her eyebrows as she made the proposition.

"I'll keep that in mind," Luke replied suppressing a grin. He didn't like to overindulge her suggestive humor even though he secretly loved it.

Lorelai stood up and ran her hand along Luke's shoulders as she walked behind him. "So I stopped by the diner around four today and you out."

Luke winced invisibly and he stood up taking the drawer handle with him.

"Caesar said you had a few errands to run," Lorelai continued. "He said you'd been gone most of the afternoon."

Luke debated about whether or not to tell Lorelai the truth about where he'd been. He figured she would inevitably find out that he'd seen Emily and Rory and he finally decided it might be better to just tell her as much.

"Yep," Luke replied. "I was out."

"A man of many words," Lorelai teased him. "That's what I love about you. You know, I was watching Dr. Phil the other day and he said that unaccounted time was a sign of infidelity. Not that I'm pressuring you to tell me where you were or anything."

She was making light of the situation and that seemed to be a good sign. Luke didn't know how to approach the subject. It was obvious from previous experience that Lorelai liked to keep parts of her life separate. Although she'd told Luke he had full access to all the compartments of her life this would be the first true test to whether she meant it.

"I was out," Luke began again. "Looking for Rory."

Lorelai's expression changed and her face became unreadable. "You were looking for Rory? Why were you looking for Rory?"

"I wanted to talk to her about me moving in here," Luke said finally. "I know you said she was fine with it, but the way you described your conversation…I just wanted to make sure that it really was okay."

"Okay," Lorelai said as she thought about her response. "And what if Rory had told you she wasn't okay with it? Would you have not moved in?"

"Maybe" Luke answered her honestly.

"Wow, maybe," Lorelai mulled over his response.

"Not because I don't want to," Luke clarified. "I just don't want to be a sore point between the two of you."

"Believe me Luke we have plenty of those without adding you to the mix."

"I know. I just wanted to be sure that it was really okay. I'm gonna be a huge part of your life now and Rory's life when she eventually comes home. I just wanted to start off right."

"What she say to you?"

"She said she wanted you to be happy."

Lorelai scoffed. "She's got a funny way of showing it."

"I told her she was always welcome here," Luke continued. "I told her that you loved her and wanted the best for her."

"I'm sure that went over well."

"I don't know how well it went over, but she seemed open to the idea of coming home eventually."

Lorelai just nodded and stared at the ground. Luke began to wonder if he'd made a mistake. It was one of the few times that he couldn't decipher her response. Her eyes seemed hard and they weren't giving away any information. He plopped down on the edge of the bed and sat facing Lorelai.

"Lorelai?" Luke said.

"It's fine," Lorelai said looking up. "I'm fine. I'm a little surprised that you'd go talk to Rory without talking to me about it, but it's good."

"Do you really mean that or are you just telling me what you think I want to hear?"

"It's what I think," Lorelai said looking up at him and tucking her hair behind her ear. "It's weird to get used to, but I'm okay with it. Honestly." Lorelai walked over to the bed and perched herself next to Luke.

"Okay," Luke replied turning his head to face her. "Then I should probably also tell you that I spoke to your mother."

"You didn't," Lorelai cringed. She could only imagine how well that conversation went.

"I did," Luke said. "Rory wasn't there and I wanted to find her so I rang the doorbell."

"Please tell me it was Lurch who answered," Lorelai said.

"If by Lurch you mean Emily then you're exactly right," Luke replied.

"And she told you where Rory was?" Lorelai questioned. She was surprised that her mother would give up that kind of information at all.

"Grudgingly," Luke said.

"Hey, that's quite a feat, give yourself credit."

"I guess."

"So, where was Rory?" Lorelai asked tentatively.

"She works at the Hartford Community Center Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday she helps clean up Manning Park."

"Hmm," Lorelai thought about it. "Rory's never really thought she was that good with kids. I guess she'll learn."

"Yeah," Luke agreed.

"It'll be good for her," Lorelai said. "Less time with Logan and my parents can't be a bad thing."

"Probably not," Luke said.

"Luke," Lorelai said resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for caring so much about Rory. It's still going to take some getting used to, but I'm really glad that you went to go talk to her."

"I'm glad too," Luke said.

"Your shirt's making me hungry," Lorelai said smelling the onion salt again.

"Well your burger is on the table," Luke smiled.

"Good. After I eat I'll help you find that screw," she winked at him. She nudged him with her hip as she stood up and walked out of the room. She turned to wait for him at the door. She smiled at him and Luke knew that while she wasn't completely okay with the idea of him seeking out Rory, she was getting used to the idea. He returned her grin and stood up to join her downstairs.

* * *

Rory looked at the finger paint table and sighed. For only a few hours the group of fifteen kids sure did a lot of damage.

"So, is it always like this?" Rory asked Marty as they covered the paints.

"Pretty much," Marty replied. "I like to think of this as my own personal version of Trainspotting. Everything is kind of weird and nothing makes sense until the last kid gets picked up."

"I don't think I've been this exhausted in weeks," Rory said as they cleaned up the table.

"Since finals?" Marty asked.

"Not even then," Rory said. "So, you volunteer every summer?"

"Pretty much," Marty replied. "I got into the habit in high school and I stuck with it."

"That's really nice, especially since you work so much."

"Well bartending is usually a night gig, so it kind of leaves a gapping hole in the day."

"Sure," Rory said. "So are you here five days a week?"

"Oh no, usually two or three depending on what my work schedule looks like," Marty said. "What days are you here?"

"Monday, Wednesday and Friday," Rory replied. "I was really glad to see you today. We haven't talked in a while."

"No, we haven't," Marty said pointedly. He broke the moment by snapping a lid shut and returning it to a shelf.

"Rory, I'll need you to fill out this paperwork for the court. They forgot to have you fill it out after the hearing," Katherine said as she passed through the classroom.

Rory nodded. "Thanks," she replied quietly. "I'll fill them out before I leave." She felt her face turn a few shades of red and she swallowed hard. She hadn't wanted Marty to know she was required to complete community service, but with the words court and hearing she pretty much knew her cover was blown.

"Community service?" Marty asked. "As in court ordered community service?"

"Yeah," Rory replied sheepishly. "I got into a little bit of trouble at the end of the semester."

"Wow," Marty replied shocked. "So, you had unpaid parking tickets or something?"

"I borrowed a yacht," Rory said feeling her cheeks flush.

"You borrowed a yacht? Where were you going?"

"I don't know exactly," Rory said. "Anywhere but here. South America maybe?"

"That's very Gob Bluth of you," Marty replied.

"Yeah, well it wasn't the smartest idea I've ever had," Rory said.

"So will you be done with the community service by the time school starts?" Marty asked.

"Um, probably not," Rory said. "But it's okay because I'm not really going back to school in the fall."

"You're not?" Marty asked incredulously.

"No," Rory confirmed.

"Wow, you're the most studious person I know. You're like the poster child for Yale."

"Well it's time for a change."

"I guess."

"We have to grow up and find our own way. It's time I start making my own decisions," Rory said paraphrasing Logan's speech to her.

"Sure," Marty said unconvinced.

The table was just about clean and Marty removed his smock. Rory glanced around the room and walked over to some tables and started pushing in chairs.

"I'm living with my grandparents in Hartford for a while," Rory continued to babble to fill the silence in the room. "I'm working at a law firm and doing my community service."

"Your Mom must miss you," Marty said helping her push in the chairs.

"Yeah," Rory dismissed him. "My Grandparents have been great. They've been really supportive and understanding about everything. I made a pretty big mistake and they've been wonderful."

"Right," Marty replied curious about Rory's dismissal of his comment about Lorelai. He surveyed the room, which looked fairly clean and tidy and he draped his smock over the chair. "Well it looks like it's pretty clean."

"Yeah it does," Rory agreed. "So will you be here on Wednesday?"

"Probably," Marty replied. "I work Thursday night so I'll probably be around Wednesday."

"Well then I guess I'll see you then," Rory smiled.

"Yep," Marty replied. "It was nice seeing you again Rory." Marty gave her a half grin and left the classroom.

"You too Marty," Rory said sincerely as he walked away. With Lane on tour and Paris unavailable for the summer it felt nice to have a friend again. Rory always had Logan to talk to, but there was something about talking to Marty that calmed and yet also unnerved her. It was his reaction to her leaving Yale. He seemed shocked and slightly unsupportive and for reasons unknown to Rory it bothered her immensely.

Rory removed her smock and placed it over Marty's. She would just have to explain her reasons for leaving school a little more clearly the next time she saw him. She surveyed the room one last time before leaving to fill out her paperwork. All in all her first day at community service hadn't been a bad as she thought it would be.

TBC


	19. A Change in the Weather

_Author's Note: I had hoped to finish this story before season 6 started, but then I realized that using time constraints would have a negative impact on it so I decided to stick to telling the story I set out to write. I promise I won't let season 6 and my fictional season 6 overlap for too much longer. As always, thanks for the reviews.

* * *

_

Chapter 19  
"A Change in the Weather"

As days passed Lorelai thought about what Luke had told her of his visit with Rory. At first she was irritated with him as she thought his actions were out of line. However, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Luke was only trying to help mend the rift with Rory. He had meant no harm and it seemed, from Luke's recollection anyway, that Rory had been open to the idea of seeing him and talking to him. It was better someone from Stars Hollow was able to have contact with Rory if Lorelai couldn't.

A week had passed since Luke's visit to Rory at her community service job. In that time Lorelai had received no call from Rory or her mother. She was grateful for the lack of contact with her mother, but the lack of contact with Rory was beginning to weigh on her. Lorelai glanced at her watch and noticed that she had been able to sneak out of work a bit early. She quickly made a right turn and traveled down a road she was not expecting—the road to the expressway to Hartford.

Lorelai drove quickly and with purpose. She had mentally resolved to pay her daughter a visit. It was Tuesday and according to Luke Tuesday meant that Rory would be in Manning Park. Lorelai traveled down the familiar roads until she pulled through the gate to the park. She noticed a group of workers with orange vests and she took a deep breath. It was now or never. She was Rory's mother. She was the adult in the situation and it was time that she took control. Lorelai climbed out of the Jeep and closed the door more forcefully than she'd intended. She walked over to the group of orange-vested workers.

"Hi," Lorelai said trying to sound less nervous than she felt. "I'm looking for Rory Gilmore. Do you know where I can find her?"

"Are you her parole officer?" a younger girl cracked.

"In a sense," Lorelai tried to joke. "I'm her mother."

The girl scoffed and nodded her head to the left. Lorelai followed her nod and noticed Rory over by a row of picnic tables. "Thanks," Lorelai replied as she left the girl and made her way over to Rory.

"Hi," Lorelai said ash she approached Rory from behind.

Rory was startled and she jumped a little as she turned around to face her mother. "What are you doing here?" Rory asked casually.

"Luke mentioned that you were out here on Tuesday and Thursdays," Lorelai replied.

"So you thought you'd come by for a visit?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I thought I'd come by to see you," Lorelai said a little more forcefully. "We haven't talked in a while."

"Well I've been busy with working and community service," Rory said.

"I figured," Lorelai said. "But you've been at this a week already. You must be making a dent, right?"

Rory gave her mother a look. "If you mean I have about 20 hours down and 480 to go then I guess you could say I've made a dent."

Lorelai picked up on Rory's tone and sighed inwardly. She didn't want this conversation to go as the others had. She wanted to start to get their relationship on the right track so she ignored the tone and pressed on.

"Well, way to be like the Monty Pythons—always looking on the bright side of life," she joked feebly. "So you're here two days a week and then helping at an after school program?"

"Why are you acting like you care now?" Rory asked suddenly. "You weren't even at my hearing."

"You never told me when it was," Lorelai defended herself.

"Grandma said she told you about it."

"She did and I had a meeting I couldn't move."

"It's good to know I'm so unimportant."

"Hey, wait a minute," Lorelai said sternly. "You are not unimportant. How was I supposed to know you wanted me there? You didn't even tell me about it."

"Grandma did," Rory insisted.

"Yeah, she did. She told me a few days before the hearing. You didn't tell me at all. I figured you didn't want me there."

"You're my mother," Rory said. "I guess I thought you knew me better than that."

"I used to," Lorelai mumbled.

"Why is it you're here?" Rory asked snidely.

"I came to see you," Lorelai said. "I know you probably won't believe me, but I miss you okay? The house seems empty because you're supposed to be there and you're not. I miss talking to you."

"You were the one who told me—"

"You couldn't come home," Lorelai finished for her. "I know. I think it would have slightly more impact of my parents hadn't been so accommodating. But, I guess Casa Gilmore is like the Ritz Carlton to you."

"At least they're supporting my decision," Rory reminded Lorelai, as if she had forgotten.

"Rory, you never gave me a chance to support you," Lorelai protested. "You made a rash decision because you were upset. The thing is, I know you better than they do and I know that you don't make snap decisions and when you do they don't turn out well. I wanted you to have a little time to think and gain some perspective on things."

"I have perspective on things and I haven't changed my mind," Rory insisted.

"And that's okay," Lorelai interjected. "I just want to understand this. You love school. You've always loved school and you were happy at Yale. I'm just trying to understand how criticism from one man could make you lose that."

"It wasn't just Mitchum," Rory said. "You just don't understand the pressure. I had to drop that class last semester and my articles for the paper were never that good. Paris wrote better articles than I did and she's pre-med."

"Okay," Lorelai said thinking. "Then maybe journalism isn't for you. Maybe you should just think about another major."

"That's not what I need right now."

"But you feel like you need to waste your time and potential clerking in a stuffy law office?"

"You don't' understand. You've always had this dream to own an inn and it happened for you. You never had to deal with the doubts I have right now."

"Oh no, you're right, I was always confident and I knew I would succeed in business," Lorelai said sarcastically. "Rory, I was a maid who lived in a potting shed. I had to support both of us on a maid's salary and I never even ran a lemonade stand let alone an inn."

"Yeah, but look at you now, you didn't let that stop you," Rory reminded her.

"No I didn't. If I had let the criticism I received stop me I wouldn't be where I am today," Lorelai said. "But that didn't mean that I wasn't terrified. Just because the Dragonfly is up and running it doesn't mean that I'm not terrified about the challenges that face me every day. Nothing in this world is certain. Dealing with challenges makes us who we are."

"And I'm dealing with it," Rory said.

"And you're happy?" Lorelai asked. "This is what you want."

"It's what I want," Rory affirmed.

"And what about Yale? Are you ever planning on going back?"

"Why does it matter?"

"It matters because I want more for you than nightly community college after you're worked a 10-hour day," Lorelai said sincerely. "I don't want you to waste this opportunity."

"I'll be fine," Rory insisted. "I haven't decided what I'm doing just yet. The only thing I know for sure is that I need to complete my community service by November. I'm focused on that right now."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. "Well, I guess if you need anything you know where to find me."

"I do," Rory said.

"Okay. Well I'm gonna go back home then."

"Fine."

Lorelai bit her lower lip. She felt no better about the situation than before she came. Although it was slightly encouraging that this visit hadn't ended in a shouting match and tears. Lorelai would have to make due.

"Okay," Lorelai repeated again. "Well Stars Hollow's Salute to Peaches is next weekend if you're around town for anything."

"Oh," Rory said.

"Yep, Taylor has quite an elaborate parade planned this year. There's even a rumor about Kirk dressing up as the Peach Queen after his successful turn as Town Whore in the reenactment."

"That could be interesting," Rory said.

"Well, just thought you might like to know about it," Lorelai said. "I'll see you around."

"Bye."

Rory watched Lorelai walk to her car and pull out of the park. She was encouraged by her visit and although nothing was resolved she felt better about the current status of her relationship with her mother.

* * *

"So you didn't abandon me after all," Rory said as Marty walked into the Hartford Community Center. Marty had missed his usual Monday volunteer day and Rory wondered if he had switched his normal day to avoid her. As happy as she was to have a friendly face to work with she wondered if it was awkward for Marty.

"Nope, I thought about it, being as though today is macaroni picture day, but I decided I couldn't leave you with all those sticky glue fingers," Marty replied.

"I appreciate that," Rory said. "I need the assistance of a true professional when it comes to sticky glue fingers."

"Look no farther," Marty said.

"So you weren't here Monday," Rory said as a statement rather than a question. She wondered where Marty was, but she didn't want to pry. She just wasn't sure how close they were anymore.

"Very good observational skills. Are you sure you're not going to be an investigative journalist?" he joked. Marty noticed that Rory flinched slightly at his comment and quickly apologized. "Sorry, I thought we might be to the jovial stage of the decision to leave school. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I know. It's okay," Rory said waving him off.

"No, that was really insensitive of me," he insisted. "I really am sorry Rory."

"It's okay, really. You must be thinking about school starting up anyway. Are you staying on campus again this year?"

"Yeah," Marty said as he began to ready the tables for the craft project. "My financial aid covers part of the dorm so it's cheaper. I guess I've got school in my mind because of this class I'm signed up for. It's a literature class that's based in history and we're required to read five novels over the summer."

"Not going well?"

"There's this one that's about Alexander Hamilton and I just cannot get through it," Marty said.

"By Ron Chernow?" Rory asked as she opened the box of elbow macaroni.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I've read it," Rory said. "I thought it was pretty good. It gets a little boring in spots, but it was a page-turner compared to the Benjamin Franklin one."

"I have to read that too," Marty said. "Hey, I have an idea. Since you've read two of the books anyway why don't you go to class for me?"

"Well that could work except for the fact that you're a guy and I'm a girl."

"Nah, I'll just let you borrow one of my t-shirts and you can wear a baseball cap."

"Thanks a lot!" Rory said pretending to be angry.

"Well rumor has it that Phillip Bedford is slightly blind so it might work," Marty joked.

"I doubt it," Rory said.

"So, aren't you going to miss going to class?" Marty asked hesitantly. In the few days they'd worked together Marty had found out all about Rory's internship and the ordeal with the yacht, but he still felt uncomfortable broaching the subject of school with Rory.

"Maybe at first," Rory said after contemplating the question for a moment. "But it'll be nice to have less stress for a while."

"I guess," Marty nodded.

"What?"

"Nothing," Marty said trying to play of his skepticism.

"No really, what?" Rory insisted.

"It's nothing," Marty sighed. "I just, I don't want you to get mad at me."

"I won't get mad at you," Rory replied.

"Well I sort of wondered why you decided to drop out of school instead of just look into another major."

"I've wanted to be a journalist my entire life," Rory said.

"Right," Marty placated her. "But, now that you're not going to be, why not look into something else?"

Rory didn't really have a satisfactory answer for him. For some reason she could lie to her grandparents and her mother. She could even lie to herself about the true reason she dropped out of Yale, but for some reason as she looked into Marty's sincere brown eyes her lie didn't seem acceptable enough.

"I don't know," Rory said finally.

"Really?" he asked shocked.

"I guess I feel like journalism is always been what I wanted to do and I've always excelled at it," Rory said slowly. "If I can't do what I'm best at then how can I expect to be good at anything else?"

Her answer lingered in the air for a moment before Marty replied. "Rory, you're the smartest person that I know and I'm not just saying that. You're intelligent and resourceful and amazing at almost everything I've seen you try. If you can't succeed at anything then what hope do I have of being good at anything?"

Rory was taken aback by his response and just as she was about to reply the kids entered the room and attacked the macaroni table. Marty immediately got to work and Rory took a moment to stand agape before she turned her attention to the task at hand.

The hours seemed to drone on and Rory had kept trying to respond to Marty's final comment on her decision to drop out of school but she kept getting interrupted. She hoped that they might have some time after the craft to talk again.

"Hey, would you mind if I cut out a little early today?" Marty asked Rory while the kids were finishing their projects. "My car is in the shop so I had to ask for a ride."

"I could have given you a ride," Rory said.

"Nah, I love out of your way, especially if you're staying at your Grandparents," Marty replied. "I've got a ride and everything it's just that I need to leave a little earlier than usual. I don't want you to think I'm sticking you with clean-up duty."

"Yet that's exactly what you're doing," Rory laughed lightly. "It's no problem. As long as you don't abandon me on finger paint day then we're good."

"Okay, thanks," Marty smiled back.

There was a comfortable moment of silent between them and just as Rory prepared herself to try to get Marty to elaborate on his earlier comments she heard a voice from behind them.

"Hey, you ready?" a tall brunette asked as she approached Marty. Rory noticed how she reached out her hand to him and smiled when he turned. She also noticed how Marty seemed to relax and grin in her general direction as well.

"Hey," Marty replied happily. "I am ready. I hope the traffic wasn't too horrible to get here." Rory noted that Marty had moved his hand to the girl's upper back.

"No worse than usual," the brunette replied. Rory noticed that she was a few inches taller than herself with piercing green eyes.

"Oh, Rory," Marty said. "This is my girlfriend Kim. Kim, this is Rory. Rory and I used to go to Yale together."

Kim extended her hand to Rory. "Nice to meet you," she said pleasantly. "Did you graduate already?"

"What?" Rory replied.

"Marty said you used to go to school together. Are you finished already? I'm getting ready for my sophomore year at Harvard and it feels like it'll never end already."

"You go to Harvard?" Rory asked. She suddenly felt like the walls were caving in on her. It was also too much to process. Marty had a girlfriend. Marty had a girlfriend who went to Harvard. Marty introduced Rory as a former classmate. The realization that she was no longer a student had finally hit her like a ton of bricks square in the chest.

"Yeah," Kim replied. "So did you transfer somewhere else or did you graduate?"

"Uh," Rory stammered. "I'm actually taking a little time off."

"Oh, well that's fun," Kim said. "I took a half semester off before I started college. It was really good for me. I was able to figure out what I wanted to do with my life."

"That's nice," Rory forced a smile. She had just come to the realization that she wasn't going back to school. She certainly didn't need Marty's girlfriend telling her how great it was to be unencumbered by it.

"Well it was a good experience for me. You ready?" Kim asked Marty. "I have to be at work by six."

"Yeah," Marty replied. "You okay with the clean up Rory?"

"Sure," she said dazed.

"Great, thanks. See you on Friday."

"It was nice to meet you Rory," Kim said as she walked out.

Rory watched as Marty walked out of the room with his arm around Kim. She gazed around the room and it seemed as if nothing was real anymore. It was the first time that her decision to leave Yale seemed real. Summer was progressing and it wouldn't be long before everyone was back in school. Her chest felt tighter than usual and she thought for a moment she might start to panic as her breathing became more labored. She focused on the few children who were left and forced herself to get through the next half hour. As she packed away the crafts and macaroni she thought about things a little more clearly and she wondered if maybe Lorelai hadn't been right after all.

TBC


	20. Peaches and Lies

Author's Note: Thanks for sticking with this story as we get to the home stretch. Reviews are appreciated and encouraged:)

* * *

Chapter 20  
"Peaches and Lies"

"So you know what I love the most about you living here?" Lorelai asked she entered the kitchen and smelled a delicious breakfast awaiting her.

"The house always smells of bacon?" Luke asked as he slipped pancakes on a plate before setting it down on the kitchen table.

"Close," Lorelai dismissed his answer. "No, really, I love that I wake up with absolutely no covers because they're all on your side of the bed. The least you could do is cover me up when you leave." Lorelai picked a piece of bacon off her plate and bite into it carelessly with a grin.

"I steal the covers?" Luke asked aghast. "Please, I start the night with half a sheet, which is eventually pulled completely off me until you decide that you're too cold and then I get all the bedding heaped on me until you get hot again."

Luke was starting to get in serious rant mode until her saw Lorelai grinning happily while he went on. "You're mocking me?" he said.

"Not at all," she said leaning over and giving him a peck on the cheek.

It had been about three weeks since Luke got completely settled in at Lorelai's and even he had to admit that things seemed to be going quite well. He thought melding their lives would be difficult, but it was almost effortless. Yes, there was The Great Plate Debate when he moved his kitchen supplies in—Lorelai couldn't bear to part with Charlie's Angels and Luke refused to eat dinner off the face of a 70's bombshell—but other than that, things seemed to be going very smoothly.

Luke was surprised by how easy living together seemed to be. In fact, he had begun to seriously think about making their union legal, but he knew that could never happen while Rory and Lorelai were estranged. He wouldn't feel right about proposing to Lorelai when her daughter, and best friend, wasn't in the picture. He knew he had to bide his time although he was getting a little impatient.

"So, I saw Rory yesterday," Lorelai said casually as she took a bite of bacon.

"You saw Rory?" Luke asked surprised. "Why didn't you say anything last night?"

"It was late when you got in," Lorelai said simply.

"_I wasn't ready to share it last night," _Luke heard her reply. He knew her too well. Although Lorelai seemed like a whirling dervish of change, she, in fact, didn't take well to change and always needed time to process what was happening.

"So, how was she?"

"She was on the side of the road picking up trash in Manning Park," Lorelai reminded him.

"Aside from that, is she doing okay? Did she give any thought to school?"

"It doesn't seem like it."

"So it didn't go well?" Luke asked hoping that they had made some sort of inroads.

"Well it didn't end in shouting and tears so I guess we could chalk this one up in the positive column," Lorelai said. "But I don't think she wants anything to do with going back to school."

Luke nodded. "She didn't seem open to it at all?"

"Not really," Lorelai said stabbing at her pancakes. "I invited her to the peach festival."

"That was nice," Luke said taking a seat next to her at the table. "Do you think she'll come?"

"I honestly have no idea," Lorelai replied suddenly pushing her plate forward.

Luke really didn't know what to say anymore. He kept reassuring Lorelai that things would get better, but that was only because he couldn't honestly comprehend it getting much worse between them. Luke was unaccustomed to seeing Lorelai and Rory at odds like this. He, above all people, knew that Lorelai could be stubborn and hold a grudge, but he never imagined that it would affect her relationship with Rory. He also knew that Rory dropping out of school and turning to Emily and Richard for help had crushed Lorelai more than she cared to admit. He just didn't know what to do or say to make things better.

"Well," Lorelai sighed as she stood up and squeezed his hand. "I have to get going. We've got that historical society coming to the inn today. Will you be home later or are you closing?"

"I told Caesar he could have the night off so I'll be home late," Luke replied.

"Okay, well I'll see you later then," Lorelai said walking out of the kitchen.

Luke surveyed the half-eaten breakfast he'd made her and sighed. He had tried, in vain it seemed, to get Rory and Lorelai talking again. It wasn't until that moment that he realized he had no control and no say over what happened next between them. He only had control over one aspect of his life and as soon as Lorelai left for work he was going to take charge of it the best way he knew how.

* * *

"Ace?" Rory heard Logan's voice faintly. "Are you okay?"

Rory threw back the covers of her bed and stared blankly around the room. She was in the pool house still dressed in her clothes from the previous day. She blinked a few times to clear her head and she began to remember returning home from her community service and going straight to sleep. It was more of attempt to hide from her realization about school than anything else. If she was unconscious then she wouldn't have to face reality.

"I've been trying to call you all night," Logan said perching on her bed. "Are you sick?"

"No," Rory said clearing her throat.

"What's wrong then?"

"Nothing," Rory said sitting up. "I came home and went to sleep."

"I don't buy it," Logan insisted. "What's wrong? You don't look so good."

"Well thank you so much," Rory said tossing her legs out from under the covers. She walked over to her desk and picked up a clip and she quickly pulled her hair back before rubbing her face.

Logan followed her and placed his hands on her arms. "What's wrong?" he asked again.

"Nothing is wrong. I was tired, that's it," Rory replied irritated. She wasn't yet sure what she thought about school. The realization that she might be making a mistake hit her hard, but she wasn't ready to talk about it. She wanted some time to think about things herself before she voiced her concerns to anyone.

"You were just tired so you came home at 7 o'clock and slept until," he checked his watch, "one o'clock the next day?" he said unconvinced.

"Community service is a lot more work than you'd think," Rory replied as she walked out of the room and over to the kitchen.

"Rory," Logan said warningly.

"Logan," she replied.

"Fine," he said. "You're fine? I'm fine. But if you decide you want to talk about whatever it is that's bothering you, you let me know"

"I will," Rory lied as she started the coffee pot. "So you were looking for me?"

"I haven't seen you in a while," he said. "I thought we needed some quality time. What are you up to today?"

"Uh, well I have community service in about two hours," Rory said.

"Again? Everyday is community service day," Logan whined.

"I've got 500 hours to complete by November. But, I guess you wouldn't know what that's about because you've never had to worry about being punished for your antics," Rory snapped at him immediately regretting it.

"Hey I told you to use my lawyer, but you refused. Don't blame your community service on me," Logan defended himself.

"I'm not," Rory sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just not in the greatest of moods."

"Is this because of your mother? You mentioned that you saw on the side of the road yesterday during our brief conversation."

"No. I mean, seeing her didn't help things, but I'm not mad about anything," Rory insisted. "I'm just really busy with work and community service and the way things are with my Mom. Maybe it's all catching up to me."

"Maybe," Logan replied unconvinced. "So when are we going out to celebrate your freedom from school?"

"Uh, what?" Rory tried not to let her tone sound irritated or upset and she wasn't sure if she succeeded.

"Well school starts in about two weeks," Logan began. "I thought you might want to celebrate your freedom from academia. It'll be the first time since Kindergarten that you don't have to worry about going back to school, at least for a semester anyway."

"What does that mean?" Rory questioned him.

"Well, you said you were taking some time off from Yale," Logan explained as he sank into the couch. "Taking time off in college is a minimum of a semester. Just think, sixteen weeks to do what you want, when you want with no deadlines to worry about."

Rory thought about what he'd said and that sick feeling washed over again. The realization of taking time off had finally hit her. Everyone else would be going back to school and where would Rory be? Cleaning a park? Filing briefs in a law firm? Suddenly the notion seemed far less romantic than it originally had when she declared time off was what she needed.

"Yeah," she forced a smile.

"So, tonight is out, what about this weekend?" Logan continued the conversation slightly oblivious to Rory's expression.

"Actually, my Mom was telling me about the Stars Hollow Peach Festival," Rory said walking over to the couch and taking a seat next to him. "I was thinking maybe we could go check it out."

"A Peach Festival? Like peach cobbler, the Peach Queen and peach punch?" Logan asked.

"Kind of," Rory said feeling somewhat nostalgic for Stars Hollow. "Except Taylor has all these weird contests like bobbing for peaches, pin the peach on the tree, it's quite a spectacle."

"It sounds like it," Logan agreed. He really had no interest in attending a peach festival. He was more in the mood for a bar or a club, but he saw how Rory's face seemed to soften when she talked about the festival and he relented. "Okay Ace, let's go."

"Really?" Rory asked.

"Sure," Logan said. "Although bobbing for peaches sounds disgusting I don't think I can say I've seen it all until I go to the Stars Hollow Peach Festival."

"Oh, believe me, Kirk singing the Ode to Peaches is worth it," Rory snickered.

"Seriously?" Logan asked wide-eyed.

"Last year it was an operetta, but there's been talk of him remixing the tune to progressive rock."

"That I have to hear," Logan replied. After a moment he added, "You know you'll probably run into your Mom there."

"Maybe," Rory sighed. "I don't think it'll be so bad though."

"Okay. If you're game then so am I," Logan said.

"You won't be sorry," Rory smiled in reply.

* * *

Lorelai returned home to find an empty house. She knew that Luke said he'd be home late, but she somehow felt like the house was a lot lonelier without him there. She had gotten used to his presence in the house over the last few weeks and she was unaccustomed to returning home to a quiet house.

She tossed her purse on the coffee table and sunk into the couch as she turned on the television. She flipped the channels quickly and with no particular television program in mind when she came across _The Godfather_ on one of the movie channels. She hadn't watched the movie since Rory was home for a long weekend in the spring. Like a car accident that she couldn't quite tear her eyes from, she continued to watch the film. The emotions of Rory's absence seemed fresher than before and Lorelai found herself crying in parts where she normally laughed.

She made it through the end of the movie and blew her nose quickly as she heard Luke's key jingle in the door. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes quickly hoping that the tear stains were almost dry.

"Hey, you're still up," Luke said as he walked into the living room. He hadn't expected her to be up and he hung back toward the wall slightly.

"Yeah," Lorelai replied turning to see him. "I got sucked into a movie."

"Not the _Life of Brian_ again?" Luke asked. Lorelai had been on a Monty Python bender as of late and he was beginning to think it was an addiction.

"No," she chuckled. "_The Godfather_."

"Why is it that when I'm forced to watch a movie on TV with you it's always something weird like _Harold and Maude_, but when you're alone, it's _The Godfather_?"

"You're just lucky I guess," Lorelai said noticing that Luke was keeping his distance from the couch. "So are you holding up that wall or what?"

Luke shifted slighted and took a second to think before joining Lorelai on the couch.

"Gee, thanks for making it look like I didn't have to twist your arm to get you over here," Lorelai said suddenly feeling a chilly reception.

"I didn't mean to make it seem like that," Luke said giving her a light peck on the cheek. "I was debating on whether going straight to bed was a better option-"

"Than spending a few moments with your beloved fiancée?" Lorelai cut him off pretending to be offended.

"Basically, yes," Luke replied playfully.

"Thanks," Lorelai said wryly.

"You're welcome," Luke replied.

"So you're tired?" Lorelai clarified.

"Actually yeah. It's been a slightly exhausting day," Luke replied.

"Well go to bed," Lorelai insisted. "We can catch up tomorrow. You are coming home early tomorrow right?"

"Your wish is my command," Luke said standing quickly. "You coming up?"

"In a few minutes," Lorelai replied. "I just like knowing you're here."

"And I'm not going anywhere," he said as he kissed her forehead gently. "Good night."

"Good night," Lorelai replied.

Luke made his way up the steps and rested his hand over the front pocket of his jeans. He felt the small square box in his pocket and made a mental note to leave it at the diner. He was glad Lorelai hadn't noticed it and he was grateful that she let him leave so quickly. Hiding the engagement ring he purchased that afternoon might prove to be tougher than he thought.

TBC


	21. Breakthrough

_Author's Note: I had intended to end this on chapter 21, but it looks like chapter 22 will be the epilogue. Thanks for sticking with me!

* * *

_

Chapter 21  
"Breakthrough"

"Rory," Emily called as she entered the pool house. "Are you here?"

"In my room Grandma," Rory called as she threw a sweater over her head.

"Ah, there you are," Emily replied as she entered the room. "I feel like we haven't talked in days."

"Well you were in Paris last week," Rory reminded her as she continued to go about the business of getting ready to leave.

"Yes, well, I was wondering if you had some time to have lunch with me today? I'd love to hear all about the law firm and how your community service is going," Emily said perching on a chair in the corner of the room indicating that this wouldn't be a short visit.

"Well," Rory half-sighed. "The law firm is fine, it's just filing. Community service is going well. I'm starting to make a dent in the hours and its been nice having Marty around a few times a week."

"Marty?"

"Yeah, you've met Marty," Rory replied. "He's a friend of my from school and he volunteers at the community center a few times a week so I've been working with him."

"Does Logan know about this?" Emily asked.

"There's nothing to know," Rory said giving Emily a puzzled look.

"You're working side-by-side with another boy," Emily said. "That would have caused some talk in my day."

"There's no talk," Rory insisted with a smirk. "Marty is a just a friend. Besides, I have Logan and Marty has a girlfriend."

"Alright," Emily replied skeptically. After a beat she added, "Now, how do you feel about lunch?"

"I actually can't do lunch today," Rory replied apologetically. "I'm going out."

"You don't have community service do you?"

"No, not today," Rory replied as she inserted her earrings.

"Where are you going?" Emily asked feeling put out by her granddaughter.

"I'm actually heading to Stars Hollow," Rory replied almost sheepishly. It wasn't her intent to let Emily know about this little visit back home. Although she would be there with Logan and there was no guarantee that she would ever see her mother, Rory knew that Emily wouldn't take well to the idea.

"Really?" Emily replied trying to remain cool and collected. She hated the thought of Rory going back to that small town. She was destined for something far greater than becoming Peach Queen of Stars Hollow. "If you have to pick things up from your house I'd be happy to go get them for you."

"I'm not going home," Rory said. The reply seemed to quell Emily's fear for the moment. "There's a festival that Logan and I were going to check out."

"A festival?"

"Yeah, the Stars Hollow Peach Festival is today," Rory said.

"A peach festival?" Emily gulped. "Are you sure you want to go that?"

"Yeah," Rory said grabbing her purse. "I missed last year's festival because we were in Europe and I was hoping to catch up on things."

"You're going to see your mother?" Emily asked.

"Nothing is definite," Rory said quickly as she walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

Emily, not one to end a conversation because the other party was uncomfortable, followed Rory and asked, "So you didn't make plans to see her?"

"No, we made no definite plans," Rory said filling a cup of coffee.

"But Logan is going with you," Emily clarified.

"Logan is meeting me there. He had a meeting with his parents about something," Rory replied.

"Well have fun," Emily struggled to let the words leave her mouth. She didn't want to discourage Rory from going home, or to seeing Lorelai, but part of her thought she would lose Rory forever if Lorelai was able to get a hold of her for the day.

"Thanks," Rory said surprised. She had expected a lecture or some sort of disapproving glance from Emily, but she received nothing of the sort. "Well I should be leaving."

"Of course don't let me keep you," Emily replied. Emily left the pool house before Rory and made sure not to let her smile fade until she was safely in the house.

Emily had no ill-will toward Lorelai or Rory. In fact, she had hoped that they would eventually find their way back to talking again. Emily had held years of regret for her relationship with Lorelai, knowing that it was partly Lorelai's fault for running off, but also knowing that she did nothing to mend fences. Instead of going to her daughter and trying to talk some sense into her she let the hurt she felt consume her and she used her pain to build a wall when it came to Lorelai. It was easier to be critical and firm than admit that she may have had something to do with Lorelai's decision to leave home.

Emily remembered being a small child and longing to dress in the fancy party dresses her mother owned. She couldn't wait to wear makeup and go to parties. From birth Lorelai seemed to have an inherent distain for the finer things in life. She didn't like dressing up, she'd rather wear pajamas. She didn't like lobster. She'd rather have frozen fish sticks. It seemed that she didn't like anything Emily enjoyed and a chasm developed between them because it.

Emily had secretly envied the relationship that Lorelai had with Rory. She remembered the day Lorelai was born. She had wanted a daughter so badly. She never told Richard of course. All men want happy, healthy sons to carry on the family the name, but Emily secretly longed for a girl and she was ecstatic when she found she'd gotten her wish. Maybe that was the problem. Emily had imagined a wonderful future of mother-daughter bonding over china and crystal and ballroom dancing. Maybe Lorelai sensed that Emily wanted to be close, but only on her terms. She seemed to recall an afternoon when Lorelai had sat her down and begged her to listen to a song by some popular musician, King or Duke or something royal. Emily cringed when she heard the noise emanating from the cassette player and she verbalized her dislike of the song. Lorelai never called her into her room to listen to anything again.

Emily sighed as she pondered the past she shared with her daughter. She thought about the relationship she had with Rory and wondered if, after today, would things ever be the same again?

* * *

"Fill 'er up," Lorelai said tapping her empty to-go cup on the diner counter.

"Keep your pants on," Luke grumped as he delivered the check to the table by the window.

"Is that what you really want?" Lorelai flirted with him.

"Yes," Luke replied not dropping his gruff tone, but giving her an almost undetectable wink as he passed her.

Lorelai smiled at him at he walked into the kitchen. She had to admit that things were going well, very well, between them. The living situation had some kinks but turning two lives, two homes and two grocery lists into one turned out to be a lot easier than she had anticipated. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Life with Luke was almost perfect, the inn was doing well and her mother wasn't talking to her, which made for far fewer tedious phone conversations. The only thing missing was Rory.

Lorelai noticed Rory's absence at home and in town a lot more recently than she had all summer. Maybe it was the school supplies at Doose's or the smell of a new 64 pack of Crayola crayons, but school supplies reminder of Rory and Rory reminded her that they hadn't lived under the same roof for a very long time.

"Here," Luke said setting the refilled coffee cup next to her. "Was waiting really so bad?"

"Of course," she said picking up the cup and taking a large sip. "Now that's the good stuff. So are you almost ready to go?"

"You know I don't do town festivals," Luke reminded her.

"Come on Luke," she whined. Lorelai had spent the better part of the week attempting to get Luke to accompany her to the Peach Festival.

"You know I don't do town festivals," Luke began to rant. "Yet you insist on trying to get me to go to every bi-weekly festival this town has and how many have I gone to?"

"None," Lorelai replied grumpily.

"Exactly," Luke said.

"But you've been to the Firelight Festival," Lorelai pointed out. "In fact, I've seen you at two Firelight Festivals so I don't know why you insist on saying you've never attended."

"That festival is different," Luke tried to explain.

"Why?" Lorelai put him on the spot.

"Well because there's Founder's Day Punch," Luke said.

"You hate Founder's Day Punch."

"I don't hate it."

"You do to," Lorelai gasped. "You made fun of Rachel for getting drunk there."

"I did not make fun," Luke defended himself.

"Yeah, okay," Lorelai scoffed. "You're coming to the Peach Festival with me." Lorelai reached across the counter and grabbed his wrist.

"I'm not going," Luke insisted. "Taylor is out there passing out 'Life is peachy' buttons. I don't wear buttons, let alone ones that say 'Life is peachy.'"

"Luke," she whined.

"I have customers here. I can't just close up."

Lorelai scanned the diner and noticed that she was current the only customer in the diner. "I'm the only one here and I'm leaving to go to the Peach Festival with my boyfriend."

"Have fun," Luke said smugly.

"You're coming," Lorelai said sternly. "You can enter your horrible peach pie into the bake off. Come on."

Lorelai started walking the length of the counter and since Luke liked his wrist attached to his arm he followed until she tried to get him toward the door, then he stood bearing down and she couldn't move him. He chuckled as she got behind him and tried to push him toward the door and he marveled at her tenacity. He knew full well that he would go to the festival because he couldn't deny her anything. However, the fight to get him to go was more entertaining than the actual festival. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest and waited while she tried to pull him out the door without any success.

"That's it," Lorelai sighed. "You're going and I don't care if I have to use your weakness against you."

"I'd like to see that," Luke teased her.

Lorelai reached down and grabbed for the back of Luke's knee. She got a hold of it as Luke struggled to get away from her. Luke had an Achilles heel so to speak and that was the fact that the back of his knees were incredibly ticklish. Whenever Lorelai wanted to torture him she went for the backs of his knees and he erupted into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Lorelai," he said warningly. "Stop."

"You asked for it," she said not stopping.

The two locked arms and they danced in a clumsy circle while Lorelai tried to get Luke and he tried to stop that from happening. Every once in a while Lorelai would get a good grasp of him and he would giggle like a Kindergartener. The two were so oblivious to the outside world that they didn't hear the little bells above the diner door jingle.

"Hh-mm," Rory cleared her throat to get their attention. Luke and Lorelai stopped their childish wrestling match and looked over toward the door to find Rory staring at them. An awkward silence enveloped the diner while Luke stood upright and cleared his throat.

"Rory, hi," he said awwardly. "What brings you here?" Luke backed away from Lorelai and walked back behind the counter to grab a coffee mug. "Coffee?"

"Sure," Rory said quietly. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, I appreciate the interruption," Luke said looking pointedly at Lorelai.

Lorelai just stood and stared at Rory as if she weren't real. She wondered if her eyes were deceiving her for a moment. For some reason Rory and Stars Hollow almost didn't connect in her mind.

"Are you here for the festival?" Luke asked setting the cup on the counter.

"Yeah," Rory said stealing a glance to her left and catching Lorelai's eye before shifting her gaze back to Luke.

"You came for the Peach Festival?" Lorelai asked incredulous.

"You said it was this week," Rory replied.

"I know," Lorelai replied. "I mean, I'm glad you came."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said walking over to the counter. "I was trying to get Luke to come with me."

"It looked like a decisive battle," Rory said following her mother and perching on a stool next to her.

"Well, I had him," Lorelai said unsure of what to say.

Luke stood behind the counter and he suddenly felt very out of place. He wiped his hand on a rag and decided it was time to excuse himself. "I'm gonna go see Miss Patty about a thing," Luke said vaguely.

"Very smooth," Lorelai whispered as he walked by.

The bells above the door jingled and Lorelai and Rory were left in silence. Luke took a glance inside and hoped against hope that this was the turning point he'd hoped they'd find.

"So, you came by for the Peach Festival," Lorelai said.

"Yeah," Rory replied not looking at her mother, but tracing patterns on her coffee mug. "Logan is gonna meet me here in a little while."

"Logan," Lorelai nodded knowingly even as she tried to keep an even tone.

Rory let out a small sigh. "I don't want to talk about Logan."

"I didn't say anything about Logan."

"You said his name. That was enough for me to gather your feelings on the topic."

"Sorry," Lorelai replied knowing that Logan was a touchy subject for them. "So how are things?"

"They're okay."

"Okay, huh? What happened to great?" Lorelai asked gently.

"I've just been busy with work and community service."

"Right. How is work going? Do you like the law firm? Are you going to be the next Ruth Bader Ginsberg or are you more the David E. Kelley type?"

"Neither," Rory confessed. "Filing papers all day isn't exactly exciting."

"More mind-numbing than exciting?"

"Tedious," Rory added.

"Like having teeth pulled?"

"Like going to a DAR weekend retreat, with no alcohol," Rory replied.

"Wow, thanks for that horrible thought. You really hate it there huh?"

"It's just…it's not what I thought it would be," Rory said.

"The law firm?"

"Everything," Rory said seriously. "The law firm, the community service, living in the pool house, it all seemed fine, but lately..."

Rory didn't finish her thought. She simply stared at the counter top. Lorelai hesitated for a moment and then reached out her hand and rubbed Rory's back lightly.

"I just feel like what if I made a mistake? What if I thought I was being independent, but I was just being stupid? Now it's too late. I've missed fall registration and I'm not talking to you and you hate me. Everything is just so screwed up right now," Rory cried. For the first time in months Rory actually felt like herself again. It was as if the tears falling down her cheeks were stripping away the façade that she wore and the true Rory began to show through.

"Sweets," Lorelai said reaching out and pulling her into a hug. Lorelai had to fight back tears herself. She finally felt as if all the craziness of the last few months was coming to an end. "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay."

"It's not," Rory sobbed. "I don't know how it can be. I'm so confused."

Lorelai ran her hand over Rory's head and felt her daughter's tears drip on her shoulder and as much as she felt awful admitting it, Lorelai finally felt completely happy again. She hated seeing Rory in pain, but she'd rather see her in pain than not at all.

"Rory listen to me," Lorelai said softly. "It's not too late for anything okay? You're young. You're not even 21 yet. You've got years of mistakes ahead of you and nothing is done that can't be changed okay?"

"Okay," Rory sniffed as she pulled away from Lorelai.

"What happened?" Lorelai asked.

"I was at community service and I work with Marty a few days a week and he introduced me to his girlfriend and he said I used to go to Yale. He said I _used_ to go there. At first I was offended and then I realized that he was right. I don't go to Yale anymore. I don't do anything. I have no plan. I have no direction. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Well you weren't," Lorelai said rather glibly. Rory responded with a look of hurt. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I mean you were thinking with your emotions and level-headed Rory was nowhere to be found so you weren't thinking things through, but we can fix all of this."

Rory just nodded as she wiped her eyes with a napkin.

"Rory," Lorelai said after a moment. "I'm sorry for my part in all this. I was being childish and stubborn and I forgot that I was the adult in the situation."

"Mom," Rory tried to interject, but Lorelai stopped her by continuing.

"I feel like if I would have been more open to talking about this situation then maybe we wouldn't be here right now. I'm sorry if I confused you even more."

"I'm sorry too," Rory replied after it was clear she was finished. "I should have talked to you, but I was so upset and confused that I didn't listen. I know that I hurt you by going to Grandma and Grandpa and I'm sorry. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

"Well what's done is done," Lorelai said. "But, can we talk about this now? I promise I'll be a grown up about it."

"I promise I won't run out of here determined to defy you," Rory said.

"Deal," Lorelai replied. "Okay, so the whole dropping out of Yale thing did you do that because you hate Yale or did you do that because of what Logan's said to you?"

"Part of it was because I felt overwhelmed, but it was mostly because of what he said to me. It was mostly because I think he might be right."

"Why would you think that?"

"It's hard to explain," Rory said.

"Try, please?" Lorelai asked.

"He said I didn't have that killer instinct and he's right, I don't. How can I be a journalist when half the time I don't know what my story should be? Paris is a better journalist than I am and she'd pre-med."

"Okay, well who says you have to be a journalist?" Lorelai asked. "There are plenty of careers that involve writing that don't require a passport. You could go into advertising or public relations or become an author. You could write what you wanted when you wanted."

"An author isn't exactly a lucrative career," Rory said.

"Not always, but I wouldn't expect you to be the next Harlequin romance novelist. I'd expect you to be Steven King or Dan Brown so you could take care of me," Lorelai kidded her. "My point is, there is nothing in the plan that says its journalism or nothing, right?"

"Right," Rory replied glumly.

"I know it's hard to give up on a dream. I blame Disney for all that 'dreams always come true' crap. The truth is, sometimes dreams don't come true and it hurts, but you're stronger for choosing another dream than holding out on one that can't work. Although I don't think you should change your life based on the opinion of one man. He clearly has no eye for talent because I think you're an amazing journalist."

"Yeah?" Rory asked.

"Yeah," Lorelai replied firmly.

"So, how are things with Luke? Is he all moved in?" Rory asked changing the subject.

"Yeah, he is," Lorelai said. "I thought it would be weird, but it's really not. It's like he came over to fix something and he just doesn't leave." Lorelai chuckled a little. "I'm really sorry I didn't check with you about moving Luke in to our house."

"It's your house," Rory reminded her.

"Yeah, but it was big decision. I guess you could say I wasn't thinking either."

"But you're happy right?"

"I really am," Lorelai responded firmly surprised by how happy she really felt about everything.

"Good. You deserve it," Rory said. She was happy to see her mother really, truly happy. There was no hesitation in her voice when she answered and her eyes seemed to get a dreamy far-off look when she talked about Luke living at their house. "So is my room the sewing room or the tool shed now?"

"Neither. It's the Rory Gilmore shrine at the moment," Lorelai said. "I haven't touched a thing."

"Really?"

"Really. I was sort of hoping you'd come home and use it again," Lorelai said quietly.

"Even if I'm not in school?" Rory asked.

"Do you want to go back?"

"I think I do," Rory replied.

"Well then that's all that matters," Lorelai said. "We'll figure it out."

"And what about Grandma and Grandpa?"

"Kid, I hate to tell you, but that is one battle you're going to have fight with them," Lorelai sighed. "I can't talk to them about you moving back."

"I understand," Rory said, sorry that her mother couldn't help her, but knowing that she created the current situation and it was her mess to clean up.

"So you're coming home?" Lorelai asked hopefully.

"If you'll have me," Rory replied equally as hopeful.

Lorelai threw her arm over Rory's shoulder and smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

TBC


	22. All's Well

_Author's Note: Thank you for sticking with me on this story. I hope it has been as fun to read as it was to write. All reviews are appreciated.

* * *

_

Chapter 22  
"All's Well…"

After a long talk, a few tears and a hundred 'I'm sorry for this. I'm sorry for that,' Rory emerged from the diner feeling happier than she'd felt in months. She hadn't realized how long they'd sat and talked until she saw that the twinkle lights in the town square were beginning to turn on for the evening. She took a deep breath and she felt lighter than she thought she ever would again.

The plan was to let Rory explain her decision to Emily and Richard. Lorelai wanted no part of it and Rory really couldn't blame her. It seemed that her Grandparents offered her help and then turned on her. Rory could see why talking to them about Rory moving back home might pose a problem. As much as she was dreading that inevitable conversation she still felt optimistic. She knew Emily and Richard wouldn't be mad at her decision to go back to school, so they shouldn't be upset that she was moving back home. She planned to hold on to that theory until she actually confronted them.

Rory reached the gazebo and scanned the crowd looking for Logan. She pulled out her cell phone and saw that he hadn't called her and she was surprised. She thought he was supposed to meet her at the gazebo by six. It was well after six and she didn't see any sign of him. She hit her speed dial button and waited for him to answer.

"Hello?" Logan said.

"Logan, where are you?" Rory said.

"Rory," Logan replied as if he just remembered that he was supposed to meet her. "I'm not there."

"I noticed," Rory replied. "Where are you?"

"I, uh, well I kind of forgot," Logan stumbled over his words.

Rory noticed a kind of slurred speech and she wondered if he'd been drinking. She knew he was meeting with his father that afternoon and she wondered what had happened.

"Are you okay? You sound drunk," Rory said.

"Take it off!" a voice in background yelled.

"Shh," Logan said putting his hand over the receiver.

"Where are you Logan?" Rory asked unable to ignore the shouting in the background.

"I'm," Logan started to lie and realized it was futile. "I'm with Finn."  
"You're with Finn?"

"Yeah," Logan sighed. "The meeting with my Dad didn't go so well and I needed a pick-me-up."

"So you blew me off to meet Finn," Rory finished for him.

"I didn't blow you off," Logan insisted. "I'm on my way right now I swear."

"It sounds like you've been drinking," Rory said.

"I had a meeting with my Father, of course I've been drinking," Logan replied as if it were a reasonable reaction to seeing Mitchum.

"Well then you shouldn't drive here," Rory said firmly.

"No, I promised I meet you at the Plum Day or whatever it's called," Logan said.

"It's the Peach Festival," Rory replied not laughing.

"Right," Logan said through giggles. "Finn says hello by the way."

"Great, tell him I said hi," Rory said starting to get irritated. "Look, don't worry about coming out here tonight. I'll just meet you tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Logan asked not fighting the issue.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I have plenty to do here and you shouldn't be driving anyway."

"Ace," Logan said seriously as if he had sobered up for the moment, "You are the best."

"Thanks," Rory mumbled.

"No, I mean it. You're a goddess among mortals Ace. I'm sorry about tonight. I'll give you a call tomorrow. I'll have a whole bushel of peaches flown in from Georgia for you."

"Okay," Rory said unconvinced. "Bye."

Rory hung up the phone and saw all the happy children eating peach cobbler and laughing and as happy as she felt Logan somehow had a way of making her mood fall a little. She tried to push it from her mind as she made her way through the crowd to find Lorelai. She knew she couldn't have gotten far.

* * *

"So you and Rory are?" Luke asked as he cleared their coffee mugs.

"We're bosom buddies again," Lorelai confirmed. "She needed to do a lot of talking and I needed to do less judging and somehow we made it work."

"That's great. I'm really glad things are better with you two," Luke smiled brightly.

"Me too. I feel like this weight has been lifted. Rory still has community service and she can't go back to school until next semester, but I feel like things are on track again."

"So she's going back to school," Luke said.

"Yeah, she's too late to get back this fall, but in the spring she'll start again. She was already talking about taking some class at the community college so she doesn't lose her ability to be a student."

"That sounds like Rory," Luke said.

"Yes, it does," Lorelai smiled at him.

"Let's go."

"Let's go where?" Lorelai asked intrigued by his sudden change of subject.

"Out," he said coming around the counter and taking her hand.

"Are we going to the Peach Festival?" Lorelai asked excitedly.

"Just follow me, please?" Luke asked.

For once in her life Lorelai felt carefree and happy enough to follow Luke without question. He held her hand in his and they walked along the street as the sun slowly faded.

"Is Rory moving home?" Luke asked making conversation.

"Yeah," Lorelai smiled as she responded. "I told her she had to be the one to break it to my parents though. I'd take a bullet for Rory, but telling my parents she's moving back home? No thank you."

"Is she okay with me living there?" Luke asked still walking as if he were on a mission.

"Yeah," Lorelai confirmed. "She seemed especially sold on the idea when I told her that breakfast is made to order on the weekends. She's really okay with it."

"Good, I'm glad," Luke said.

"Are you okay with it? I mean you're gonna have two Gilmore women to contend with now. It's a good thing you're already kind of grizzly or I'd worry for your manliness."

"I'll be fine," Luke chuckled. "Besides Rory was always the saner of you anyway. She might bring some much-needed sanity to our house.

"Hey, you just called it 'our house,'" Lorelai said.

"I guess I did," Luke replied. "It feels like our house now, should I still say your house? Because technically it is your house, I just moved in and--"

"I like that you called it our house," Lorelai cut him off.

"Okay," Luke gave her a small nod.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"It's a surprise," Luke replied.

"It looks like we're going to the inn."

"It's a surprise."

Luke led Lorelai down a path through some trees.

"In case you hadn't noticed these shoes are not equipped for wilderness," Lorelai reminded him.

"We're almost there," Luke said leading her down the path through the clearing.

"We're at the Dragonfly," Lorelai said when they emerged. "Why are we here?"

Luke said nothing as he led Lorelai to the porch and positioned her in front of him in the doorway.

"I don't get it," Lorelai said with a quizzical look. "I was here not four hours ago. What are we doing here?"

Luke took a deep breath and rubbed his palms together. He summoned his courage and pressed forward through Lorelai's questions.

"Okay, so we've been together a little over a year and now we live together and that's going great. In fact I think it's going much better than either of us anticipated."

Lorelai gave him an affirmative nod and Luke continued.

"And then that day, in the diner a few months ago when you asked me to marry you, I really thought about it. I thought about it but I knew it would stupid to say yes because you and Rory were fighting and you might have only asked me so that you didn't have to dwell on the Rory thing. But then you asked me to move in and I thought that seemed harmless enough so I said yes and we've been living together for a few weeks and I've been thinking."

"You've been thinking," Lorelai repeated.

"Yes. I've been thinking that I like living with you. I like that I can make you omelets on Sunday in your kitchen. I like that my flannel shirts are hanging in your closet. I like that I have someone to go home to every night and some one there in the morning when I wake up because as much as I thought I liked living alone I really didn't."

Lorelai smiled and she felt a warm feeling radiate through her chest.

"But," Luke said.

"But?" Lorelai said suddenly alarmed.

"But things with you and Rory have been bad. I'm glad things are better now but you put me through the wringer there for a while. Right now you're not talking to your parents and you've got a lot of things going on in your life right now."

Lorelai swallowed hard and tried to wrap her brain around what Luke was getting at.

"Since things have been so stressful I didn't want to burden you with more big decisions so I waited, but now that you're telling me that things with Rory are better I want to ask you something."

"Yeah?" Lorelai grinned foolishly feeling the warm sensation return.

Luke stepped forward and dug into his pocket. He produced a small velvet box and held it out. "I was wondering how you felt about being Mrs. Backwards Baseball Cap?"

Lorelai threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips firmly on his. Luke clutched the ring in his palm, but managed to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her toward him. He kissed her passionately and with all the love he had to give until he pulled his head back.

"Is that a yes?" he asked.

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "That is a yes."

"You know you didn't even look at the ring," Luke said.

"It doesn't matter," Lorelai replied.

"What if it's not a diamond," Luke teased her.

"Why wouldn't it be?" she asked still not undraping her arms from his neck.

"Well the diamond trade is dangerous. These fat cat jewelers are ripping a natural resource that takes years to form out of mines in countries that could use the wealth build a stable nation, but no. The rich industrialists come in and take over their mines and pay them slave wages to mine these stones that someone decided were worth thousand of dollars."

"Luke?" Lorelai said cutting him off.

"Huh?" he said as if he were pulled out of a dream.

"Shut up and kiss me," Lorelai said.

"I can do that," Luke said as he leaned forward and kissed her again. Once they broke apart Luke opened the jewelry box and sure enough the vintage white gold ring had a large diamond in the center.

"Luke, it's beautiful," Lorelai said as she felt slightly short of breath. He slipped it on her ring finger and they both took a moment to let the gravity of the last few minutes wash over them. Lorelai's eyes sparkled brightly just like the diamond on her finger and she knew that this was what true happiness felt like.

"So this is really happening?" Lorelai asked.

"It's really happening," Luke replied. "At least in my reality anyway."

"Can I ask you something?"

"I've told you I wear boxers. You're never going to sell me on the boxer brief concept," he kidded her.

"Thank you, I know it's boxers," Lorelai replied. "I was going to ask you why you brought me to the inn."

Luke took a deep breath. "Well I'm not Fabio's idea of Mr. Romance," Luke replied. "I just thought, since a pretty significant event happened here, that we should keep the trend going."

"Our first kiss," Lorelai repeated.

"That would be the significant event," Luke affirmed.

"And you brought me flowers here."

"Which I'd never done before," Luke finished.

"This old porch is pretty significant," Lorelai said thoughtfully. "Although…never mind."

"What?" Luke pressed.

"Nothing," she played coy.

"What?" Luke asked again.

"I always had this weird fantasy of you proposing under the chuppah," Lorelai said finally.

"The chuppah?" Luke asked. When Lorelai nodded in the affirmative Luke continued, "The chuppah I built for you and another man?"

"Well you built it for me," Lorelai insisted.

"For your wedding to another guy."

"But you didn't want me to marry him so you built it for me."

"No, I built it for you so you'd know I was okay with you marrying him."

"You were not okay with it," Lorelai scoffed.

"That's not the point," Luke countered.

"Well I thought it was special because you built it for me," Lorelai said. "You didn't have to, but you did and it really meant a lot to me, especially since you never really liked Max and--"

"Lorelai," Luke interrupted her.

"What?"

"Shut up and kiss me," Luke replied before pulling her into a kiss that seemed to mark the beginning for forever.

* * *

"So you're really going back to school?" Marty asked as he packed up the crayons.

"Yeah, I just registered for the spring semester yesterday," Rory said giving him a hand.

"That's great," Marty smiled. "If anyone belongs at Yale it's you."

"Thanks. I feel a little nervous about going back, but I'm really looking forward to it. January can't seem to get here fast enough."

"Well we'll have to institute the Breakfast Club again," Marty suggested.

"Oh, I miss make your own omelet day," Rory reminisced.

It had been a few months since the Peach Festival. Rory had moved back home with Lorelai and Luke and although Rory thought it would be odd to have Luke in the house she realized it wasn't much different than when he was just there fixing things at odd hours of the day. She had gotten quite used to his cooking as well.

The hardest part of moving back home was of course telling Emily and Richard about the plan to move back home. She thought Emily would try to get her to stay, but surprisingly, she just nodded and said she understood and that she was welcome back in the pool house any time. Richard had also seemed relieved that she was planning to go back home and eventually return to Yale. All in all things seemed to be returning to normal. Lorelai had called her parents to tell them about her engagement to Luke and the icy waters seemed to thaw slightly between everyone.

"It's Friday night," Rory said. "Any big plans?"

"It's actually my anniversary today," Marty said rather sheepishly. "We're going to that fancy place on Third Avenue."

"Swanky," Rory said as she gave Marty a shoulder nudge.

"Yeah," he replied almost embarrassed. "It's been six months. For me, that's a record."

"Well I'm happy for you," Rory said.

She wished she'd honestly meant it, but she didn't. Over the last months Rory had discovered what a great guy Marty really was. She didn't begrudge him happiness, but part of her remembered how she blew him off to be with Logan. There was a time when she only had eyes for Logan and now she wondered if she was blinded by lust and confusion. Her relationship with Logan had seemed strained as of late and hanging out with Colin and Finn was wearing thin.

"How are things with Logan?" Marty asked as if he were reading her mind.

"Oh you know," Rory tried to deflect the question. "Things are the same."

"I'm sorry," Marty replied. "I know he's been out of town a lot."

"Yeah," Rory said. "Well at least I'm almost done with community service though. Only 20 hours left."

"You'll be done in no time," Marty said. "What do you say to having a Marx Brothers marathon to celebrate the end of community service?"

"I say that sounds like a great idea," Rory said.

"Okay," Marty replied. "Well I have to get ready for tonight. I guess I'll see you next week."

"Next week," Rory nodded. She watched as Marty left the room and she wondered what that feeling in the pit of her stomach was. She liked Marty's company and she always thought he was a nice guy, but lately, when he left she felt something that she couldn't quite name and it confused her.

Rory's life seemed to be moving forward and for that she was grateful. The confusion and hurt she had felt for months had disappeared and she knew that going back to school was her true purpose. She was happy for Luke and her mother. She was content living at home and having the boat incident in the past, but her eyes revealed something more. They revealed a longing that she wasn't really aware of. Rory picked up her coat and pulled her phone out the pocket.

"Mom?" Rory asked before the voice could say a word.

"No, it's Luke," he replied. "Are you okay Rory?"

"I'm okay," Rory said as she made small-talk.

"You sure?" Luke asked. "Can I help with anything?"

"No," Rory bit her lower lip. "I was just wondering if my Mom was around."

"Yeah, she's here," Luke replied. "Hold on a minute."

"Thanks," Rory said as she waited. Although this feeling in the pit of her stomach made her nervous she was happy to be able to turn to her mother. It was the first time in months that she felt she could speak freely.

"Hon?" Lorelai said picking up the phone. "Are you okay? Luke said you sound funny."

"I'm okay," Rory said. "I was just wondering if we could talk for a minute."

"Any time, you know that," Lorelai said settling in on the couch next to Luke.

"It's about a boy," Rory said tentatively.

"Okay," Lorelai said leaning next to Luke. "Shoot."

For the first time in months Lorelai smiled as Rory explained her conflicted feelings over Marty. It seemed that the misunderstandings and stubborn communication were finally behind them. Nothing cemented that fact more than this conversation.

Luke looked over at Lorelai between commercials and noted the light in her eyes had returned to serene blue sparkle he remembered so well. He tapped her knee lightly and she smiled at him as she spoke. It was finally, at long last, a perfect evening.

The End


End file.
